Arc the Lad 2:2
by Dreamer's Prophetess
Summary: [Sorry, Discontinued for the time being due to work and school, but feel free to review!] The story continues from the end of the Arc the Lad 2 game, but Arc and Kukuru are still alive. Though the world is safe from the Dark One, it's not over yet.
1. Remembrances and Weaknesses

Disclaimer:

"**Arc the Lad** " is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.

Remembrances and Weaknesses

On the day Arc and his companions destroyed the power of the Dark One that reigned inside of the seal, the world was in ruins, towns in shambles, and people desolate with no hope for their future. During the battle, the darkness that consumed Kukuru easily disposed of her powers, which were cruelly used against her companions. Had not Kukuru called out to Arc during those last few seconds before the Dark One completely annihilated the planet, Arc would not have been able to tear the darkness that was shrouding her presence. Arc, while reaching out to Kukuru, knew that to destroy something as powerful as the Dark One would consume his entire soul. Kukuru, who desperately retrieved a small amount of her powers, was able to occupy the Dark One with feeble attempts as Arc, with all that he can give, resealed the Dark One and rescued Kukuru. Although Arc and Kukuru sacrificed all their powers to seal the Dark One, Elc felt as though their efforts were in the end meaningless. Looking out in the distance at the world sadly wounded and weak, Elc sighed deeply with utter regret. His dark demeanor was obvious to all, especially Arc, who once known as the strongest warrior now a common lad.

The impact of Sky Castle on the rich town of Romalia indeed hurled through more damage than the town could bear. Once impermeable walls that stood high among the city streets were scatter in pieces and dancing as dusts do when the shady winds whisper through the creaks and leaks of injured buildings. Arc and his companions were hurled off of the castle from the huge impact of the sealing of the Dark One, landing in a barren patch of land not far from Romalia borders. Elc, standing within several feet from the copper gate to Romalia, gripped his bleeding arm. Arc looked around the area, finding his companions tired, weary, and most of all, dismal of what had happened. He closed his eyes, seeming to understand how they all felt. His pale gray eyes glistened with determination as he turned and walked towards Elc. Kukuru silently sat next to Chongara and Tosh, who were clearly wounded all around their body. After watching Arc prepare to talk to Elc, Kukuru peered at her hands curiously. Feeling the emptiness and the bitter chill that now reside in her struck her with confusion and sorrow. The light that once purified the bodies of her friends from ruinous wounds and injuries was now gone completely, taking away the warmth and cherished purpose. Powerless, and now without the sincerity that even she depended on, she silently mourned over the loss of her inner strength. Tosh looked at her usual pale face, which seemed to grow darker by the second. He opened his mouth for a moment, but closed it and looked away, realizing that there was nothing he could say to raise the colors of her dappled spirit.

Arc took a place next to Elc, as they both watched the first bright shades of blue at the distant horizon. Elc didn't look up at Arc as he was filled with much discontent and frustration.

"Elc, the world is still-"

"Arc…Why have we been fighting? Were we fighting for this? For...our world to become nothing more than a waste land with towns as ruins. Your...your powers are gone…there will be no sense of hope within anyone now. Even after resealing the Dark One, people would look to us as a hero, but how…how can we be called heroes, when we made our world like this, an empty world? What hope can we have for the future?" Elc gripped his hand tightly and bit his under lip, as though to not explode with anger. Arc, after listening closely, put his hand on Elc's shoulder.

"Elc, listen to me. The world may be barren with nothing but ruined towns and hapless spirits. But I believe that there is still hope. There will always be hope as long as there are those who are still living to create a future for this world. Hope is not gone, just dim for the moment. We can help kindle spirits within each other and in people who survived the disaster, without the power given by the ARK." Elc seemed to want to speak but hesitated as Arc continued. "Little by little, we can help this world grow beautiful once again. And…this can only happen with a strong will and heart…a heart like yours, and everyone here. I may be powerless, but I won't stop trying to make a difference as long as I'm still alive and breathing." Elc didn't reply, just looked down as if there was no more to say.

Arc gave Elc a final glance and quietly passed him to join Kukuru. Elc stood with downcast eyes, merely watching the sands beneath him slither by the breeze and slowly fade against the color of the land. As the slight gleams of white showered over the sky, the light shimmered against the Silver Noah, perched inside the walls of the shattered shrine. Elc raised his head, as Arc's massive ship peered over the land. Hope…a chance, a renewal, the light within the heart of every soul, seemed to grow faint compared to the glistening resilience reflecting off the Silver Noah. Yet, Elc whirled around to face Arc, as he quickly redeemed his vigor and pulled his spirit into the persevering mindset for the future.

"Arc…" Arc stops to turn and face Elc. "You…you are right. There is hope…just dim, like inside of me and maybe others around us…but…I…I won't give up. As long as there is a fighting chance for our world, then I want to make use of every second of it, for those who can help to create hope in this land once again and for those who tried." Arc smiled at Elc's renewed determination.

"Thanks, Arc…for reminding me of why I started fighting…"

Arc nodded, "No, Elc…it was you who reminded me first." With this Arc turned and stood close by Kukuru, who was now standing on her feet. "All right, everyone, it's about time we start heading out to our next position."

Everyone looked at him in uncertainty, as Shania raised her voice, "Arc, where do you propose we go from here?" Arc gave a little shrug, which surprised everyone again.

"Wherever one wishes to go, I suppose. Whatever our next course of action might be, we are free to do whatever we please. Let's rest for a while near the Silver Noah, before reaching a conclusion. Chongara, will you be willing to check out the Silver Noah's condition?"

"Hehe, Chongara willing to do more than that! How about I test the baby out a bit, neh?" Chongara walked towards the ship, as Arc smiled at the ever lasting enthusiasm and gestures of his friend. Tosh gave a smirk as he turned to face Kukuru.

"I'll just go and keep that senile firebrand a little company," Tosh winked and walked towards Chongara, yelling at him to slow down. Kukuru's smile didn't last long even after the passive attempt of Tosh to give her a little lift. Hope was a fragile, gentle cover, easily torn from slight motions. Yet, the strands are fixable, and a continuous network of weaving patterns of silk, like the patterns woven against the emerald shawls that hang over her shoulders of her crimson leather clothing. After Arc checked on how the rest of his companions were doing, he politely asked Iga and Shu to keep a watch out for surviving monsters. Agreeing to this matter, Iga sat silently a few feet away from the crowded circle as did Shu. Shu took the moment to rest the heavy burdens he carried and closed his weary eyelids. Poco softly played a soothing melody that unfortunately didn't relieve Sania and Gruga from the irritating task of trying to piece back Diekbeck's misplaced head and feet. Elc resided with Lieza, who chose to sit and nuzzle Paudit behind his ears. Shante, walking next to Elc, smiled at Lieza's affection toward her faithful friend. After observing the peaceful nature of his allies, Arc walked towards Gogen, who was silently taking the time to meditate in midair.

"How are you feeling, Gogen?"

"As fair as in the many merry days I've lived in, Arc," he said, keeping afloat and his eyes closed. With a sigh, Arc sat quietly under Gogen.

"These are not signs of contempt and fatigue, I trust?"

Arc briskly shook his head as he grabbed his forehead, hiding the burdened signs within his eyes. He continued to sigh, unlike his usual replies with optimism and confidence. Remembrances of Arc's faith and hopes in himself and the Guardians passed Gogen's unconscious thoughts. Even within the risks and bleak chance of victory, Arc never gave up his heart to fall victim to the claws of despair. Gogen remained silently afloat, piecing the events like a puzzle, noticing that Arc was now completely at the mercy of any more burdens that could be thrown on him. His spirit, not completely broken, was wavering, and with this realization Gogen couldn't find any yoke to lift the afflictions that Arc was facing. Gogen opened his old eyes, although they appeared to be closed most of the time, and peered around the area. Finding another in the same disposition as Arc, Gogen raised an eyebrow and with his glorious cane, nudged the edge of Arc's blood red cape. Releasing the comfort of his hand from his face, Arc stared ahead.

"Arc…I might suggest that you take a place next to a more attractive presence than I, for I believe she might be one to give the comfort you need." Arc blinked as he realized that he had not gotten the chance to speak with Kukuru after the entire episode of peril. He got up into a standing position, as the wrinkles of his clothing began to unravel behind his tattered armor. Before heading towards the place where Kukuru sat by herself, Arc turned to peer at Gogen, who decided to continue his meditation hovering over his fluctuating shadow. Arc walked towards Kukuru with haste. Feeling the absence of Arc's presence, Gogen prayed that Kukuru would hopefully appease Arc's unnatural drawback. Arc and Kukuru, seldom showing signs of affection towards each other, were certainly a rare twosome. Not in all his years had Gogen seen a unity so destined for each other. Even without the continual presence of one's material body, Arc and Kukuru are clearly able to thrive on each other's hopes and spirit. Even at the sudden union of Arc and his company at Seirya with the Sabatico Shrine that Kukuru was trapped in for eternity, if not for the sealing of the Dark One, he recalled no signs of impatient embraces or songs of the anguish that were endured without the other. Not even a gentle smile or quiet words of love, passed during their short lived visit to Kukuru's confinement. Yet, Gogen felt a strong bondage that was formed between the two, without the display of their fondness for one another. Evidently, Arc would be the first to rush to Kukuru's side when danger would approach. Throughout battles, his actions became almost predictable, but Kukuru's self-reliant nature and pride seemed to get the better of him and save them both from irregular threats. Arc's and Kukuru's will to sacrifice themselves during the last battles for the entire world, clearly showed their allies the unbreakable link that held them together. Rarely would a man die for a good person. Arc and Kukuru certainly passed the limits of most people around the world. Nevertheless, the extent of Arc's limit was not provoked from Arc's unyielding spirit, but from the set destiny that he shared with Kukuru and his father, Yoshua, alone. Ironically, destiny brought them together, and kept them together. Still, now what does destiny have in store for them? Gogen wondered of this as he continued to contemplate silently of the matters at hand.

Arc silently stood behind Kukuru as she sat quietly staring into the empty sky, now illuminating with faint signs of the dawn. He noticed her pale complexion seemed to reflect the disposition of her spirit. The ruby shades of her iris lost the luster of brilliance and vitality that he could still clearly picture and feel from first looking upon her stunning appearance at the base of the Guardian Peak. Without the guardians' and their blessings, Arc and Kukuru are left desolate and weak. Arc wondered if this was the matter that seemed to shape the downcast lines of her soft lips. Even when Arc and Kukuru showed a complete different personality from their first meeting, as they began to act to fight the darkness that was consuming the world, they discovered a foundation that they shared so deeply together that it felt impossible to complete a feat without the other's contribution. From Arc's submissive nature and Kukuru's loud, spunky life, they both advanced into a mature stage of soaking in responsibilities and seeking the good of those around them and not themselves. Their values were so strongly deemed by each other that an inescapable route to their common destiny placed them inseparable in spirit. Arc remembered the moment he took up the courage to share his affection on the fateful day of the Cion Shrine, where they shared their first intimate kiss. He knew that their destiny were intertwined but he wished that she could understand that his reasons for loving her were beyond the trivial duties that destiny commanded them to face. Arc, again deeply pondering of Kukuru's distemper, wondered if his misleading actions are what are causing Kukuru's thoughts to limply flow without energy. It's true, that his feelings were never clear from the beginning and even during the event at Cion Shrine. Nonetheless, he believed that the task at hand was to be completed first, and now that the duties of destiny were fulfilled, he sternly rebuked himself for not taking the time to finally confess his mind-sets. As he prepared to clear his throat and speak, he came only a few seconds short to Kukuru's unrelenting wit.

"Arc…"

"Uh…yes?" Arc flustered as he noticed how long he had been standing without saying a word and just staring. With her back still faced towards him, she continued with a mild tone, lacking the clear dominance that he learned to adore.

"Why have you been standing there for so long…?"

"I was wondering…" A brisk silence walked by.

"Wondering…about…?"

" …About…you." The simple silence took its time to reside between them, before Arc's soft voice politely chased it away. "Kukuru, is something the matter?"

"…Yes, something is indeed the matter. Arc…" She turned to stare into his handsome but equally tired eyes. "We are free of our destiny's duty, but I never felt more imprisoned in my life. Had there been another way to defeat the Dark One, I would never think, without a doubt, about giving up my powers in return for the world to become helplessly bleak and you…without the guardians' gifts and strength. Had the Dark One did not come to consume me…had it not been for me…" Arc listened intently, understanding where her troubles were now brewing. "It…it's…not that I don't understand what would have happened if I weren't there…but I also do understand that…that the reasons events turned around to this were…" She stopped and turned away, overwhelmed with her frustration and lack of strength. Her grip on her loose wine attire tightened as she tried desperately to control her raging emotions. She shut her eyes and let her head fall on its own will. She couldn't bear to show her weakness in front of others, and in front of Arc it was twice as hard for her to handle her vulnerability. Powerless and now without purpose, she understood even with her powers she had been incapable to face the strength of the Dark One. Yet, if only she were to cling on to the last seconds within the final moments of her death, perhaps there could have been hope to shut the seal. Even with her life sacrificed at that moment, it would be far better than to let the world face what it is facing this very second. Constant regrets and rain of doubts devoured her last remnants of her free spirit, as she began to hate herself most for being the cause of Arc's loss of power. The glow of her inner strength shivered to the bellowing winds of her conscience. Her eyes could only see deep inside, the failure that brought everyone to ruins, including herself. She shuddered from the amount of bitterness that went whirling around in the whirlpool of her mind.

She felt a gentle touch against her cheek from Arc's soothing hand as he silently brushed off the tear that she fought so hard to not shed. Then she broke, like she's never been broken before; the great wall that hindered the warlike mass of emotions and anger from revealing anything beyond the world on the other side crumbled as the way Achilles lost control from the strike on his heel. She shielded her mouth, muffling her cries as she shed a thousand more tears unwillingly. She cowered her head, unable to face Arc, but only sob his name, overthrown with guilt. Arc knelt in front of her unhappy poise, feeling stabs of daggers striking his heart as he heard every cry and saw every tear that flowed from her eyes. Gently, he lifted her hands, damp from her flood of tears, away from her mouth as she tried her hardest to prevent last of her small whimpers to escape her mouth by distorting her face and mouth. With one hand, he held both of her hands together as he brushed the remnants of tears that held the yokes of her sorrow and burdens with the other. Kukuru signed roughly, the shortness of her breath quivering whenever she breathed in. Arc gently pressed her towards him so that she could lean against him, with the melancholy temperament of her spirit.

"Kukuru…" He began to lightly caress the flow of her amethyst hair. "The blame does not lie in you. My loss is clear as yours. It was unavoidable for both of us to save the earth that we are standing on without losing our powers. The way you chose to act was decisive. There was nothing that could have been done at the moment. The same would have happened to me, if I were to be the one that was suppose to protect the seal of darkness." Kukuru remained silent against his shoulder as Arc stopped to find a reaction, but reaching none. "I'm sorry Kukuru if I've put my burdens on you. Forgive me for failing to notice your exhaustion and giving you no help when you needed me most. I don't deserve the humility that you are trying to show me. The guilt you feel is as great as mine for you. When the Darkness began to demolish the world, and the remainder of the light faded into the shadows, I was with our friends, and they were with me. Together, we found comfort and a greater strength by our numbers and bondage. But you were alone…and by yourself you confronted the Dark One. That's why…that's why no one would ever think that what you have done was in vain or the cause of what had happened…because it wasn't." Kukuru remained ever silent. She was lost in her thoughts but did listen to every bit of the words that came from Arc's heart. Yet, she was in solitude, and her mind was shrouded in darkness. Arc realized that even if her mind had heard his words, her heart did not find any comfort. Kukuru gently clutched Arc's hands and smiled at him.

"Thank you…Arc." She smiled but Arc felt as though nothing seemed to have changed. "I feel much better…forgive me for worrying you." Arc stood up and pulled her up gently. He stared into her garnet eyes and finally grabbed the courage to begin.

"Kukuru…let's leave." Kukuru looked at him in confusion, but he smiled and continued. "Let's go back to Touvil, and there we can live freely away from the world. We had many good memories there…and there, we found each other." Kukuru stared at the floor as her face showed signs of understanding. "We are not obligated to anything anymore. We can really live…live like everyone else and at peace." Kukuru's everlasting silence began to worry Arc a little. "I would like to makeup for the all the time we couldn't spend with each other. There is so much I have left to tell you and share with you." Kukuru's face returned to glance at him with a smile that reappeared as she drew closer to Arc.

"So do I, Arc. I really want that as well." Kukuru sighed and she leaned against him. Arc was clearly happy and held her close to him, feeling the warmth of her spirit returning. Unfortunately, Kukuru looked uneasy at the decision she had just made. She held Arc closely but the usual happiness that she was expecting was lacking. She sensed her spirit lifted by Arc's proposal but the course of her future was still veiled in confusion. As Arc continued to gently stroke her long hair, she could only wonder of what the future would be like if she took this merry course.

Tosh, on his way from the Silver Noah, came upon the scene of their affection and looked away slightly troubled. Kukuru, noticing his presence, drew away from Arc as Arc soon realized that Tosh was a little uncomfortable seeing them so close. Kukuru looked at Tosh's figure and remembered the first time they met, how he was abrupt and coarse to others' problems. Yet as time went by, she admired his perseverance and his independence. His strong physic made his companions feel stronger by his side, and that's what helped Kukuru come to respect him. Tosh looked up at Kukuru, where they faintly locked eyes until Kukuru looked away. Tosh smirked, knowing that the only one Kukuru would lock eyes with would be Arc himself. Tosh didn't deny the fact that he loved Kukuru and many of his companions still wondered if he still held those feelings. Even so, Tosh understood Kukuru's feelings for Arc, and thus, politely backed away. During their past adventures, Arc was the first to realize Tosh's affection for Kukuru. At first, Arc willingly left the issues aside for he knew a greater importance was ahead. Unfortunately, Arc was just as human as any other man and couldn't help but continuously wonder about Kukuru's feelings. Kukuru was a mystery to him, and more or less, it seemed as though she had a strong bond with Tosh, but never exposed her true feelings to anyone.

Arc never felt angry with Tosh for attempting to capture Kukuru's heart during their visit to Zariban at the Ishima Rocks. By that time, all companions were well informed about each other and a strong relationship was shared by each and everyone of them. After their conversation with the Water Guardian, Arc and his companions resided peacefully inside the shrine. Arc noticed Kukuru was not with them. As he searched around his companions, he realized Tosh was absent as well. Iga did offer to go and search for them, but he decided there was no need to trouble him. Thus, Arc went out to search for Kukuru and Tosh. Kukuru walked silently along the desert and reached a subtle area to relax. At the Ishima Rocks, she decided to practice her skills and reinforce her inner strengths. Her light actions ceased as she felt another presence around her. She whirled around to find Tosh attempt a powerful blow, but she quickly dodged his maneuver and countered his attack, with a simple kick towards his back. The impact caused Tosh to land flat on the floor, humiliated. From his position, he regained himself and sat in a comfortable position.

"Haha. I was so certain I would hit you then." Tosh gave a playful smile, which Kukuru received warmly.

"You're not quick enough for me, Tosh. I heard that blow coming in three feet away from me." Kukuru sat down on a flat boulder and smiled deviously.

"Hmph. I sure wish I could throw that conceit on the dirt, the same way you threw me on the floor." Tosh chuckled, clearing knowing how angry Kukuru would receive his message.

"Hehe. At least I got to throw yours down first and ensure the safety of mine." She looked away and smiled. Tosh and Kukuru frequently enjoyed a nice quarrel but in most cases, she realized it began to draw her closer to him. She was glad to know that their friendship could be treasured in this way. She glanced behind her and was surprised to see that Tosh had disappeared. As she stood and peered around the area, still finding Tosh's disappearance a mystery, she took the moment to marvel at the surrounding beauty. The shades of the stones glistened with the shades of red and yellow, reflecting the colors of the setting sun. The way the light faintly reflected amidst the area created a peaceful atmosphere. Lost in her thoughts, Kukuru walked a few steps in front of her, until she realized Tosh's presence was right behind her. She turned but came a few seconds late as Tosh roughly wrapped his arms around her, yelling, "Got You!" Unfortunately, Tosh did not expect to grasp her body head on and was expecting to pull her from behind. Kukuru stood rather shocked at the sudden impact and stunned by the fact that their faces were so close. Tosh, too, didn't know what to do but stare into her burning eyes. The winds faintly let out a whisper, whirling past the desert sands. Kukuru began to feel troubled, thus broke the link that held her eyes to Tosh's eyes. She slowly drew away from him, but was softly brought back as Tosh moved his face closer to hers. Before his lips could meet hers, she quickly pulled away from his grasp, noticing Arc who apparently came a few seconds after their unintended embrace. Although Arc usually looked composed in any situation, his face mirrored the sudden drop of his heart. Yet he turned away quickly to not let them notice. At this reaction, Kukuru completely turned away from Tosh, who realized that Arc's presence influenced Kukuru's sudden unease.

"I…um…Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Arc's voice remained steady, but Kukuru and Tosh felt the abrupt change in his spirit. Kukuru and Tosh remained silent, still staring away from the scene like Arc. The awkward silence began to weigh more and more as the seconds passed by. Tosh was out of words; his mind drew a mere blank while Kukuru didn't know how to react to his words. All she could recall was the painful facade of Arc's face, before he looked away from them.

"…We're going to be boarding Silver Noah pretty soon…I just came to tell you that." Arc began to walk away from the Ishima Rocks, heading towards the Water Shrine. He didn't glance back, not knowing what he would find. Kukuru stared at the figure that walked silently away with sorrow. She felt a sudden lump in her throat that stopped her breath. After Arc was completely out of her vision, she closed her eyes and tried to erase his painful face expression. Unfortunately, the task was much easier said than done for she began to feel a bitter anger rising in herself. Clearly away from the Ishima Rocks, Arc's steps seemed to feel a bit heavier than his last, and walking through the soft sands of Salyan Desert did not create the peace that he felt before. Upon reaching the Water Shrine, he stood alone for a moment reflecting on what he had saw. His eyes gleamed with faint disappointment, but he shook his head and stared ahead. There was a task to be done, and he did not want to feel that what had happened held of more importance. Even though his mind spoke ways to veil the pain inside, Arc could not get rid of scene from his mind. So instead, he tried to link events that showed how Kukuru and Tosh showed signs that they did have feelings for each other. To him, the pieces seemed to make more sense as he realized that perhaps they have carried their feelings much longer than he imagined. Suddenly a cheerful voice called out to him and he looked ahead as he saw his merry friend, Poco, running towards him.

"Arc, did you find Kukuru?" Arc smiled, deleting what had happened earlier.

"Yea, she was at the Ishima Rocks…" Poco seemed to have nodded but he looked a little perplexed as if a piece of the puzzle was missing.

"Isn't she coming? What about Tosh? You went to look for him too, right?" Arc didn't want to reply at first but he meekly smiled and gave Poco a pat on his small shoulder.

"He was with Kukuru," Poco seemed even more perplexed when Arc spoke those words as Arc gave a little chuckle at his friend's sudden reaction. "I didn't want to bother them, you know." Arc started walking towards the Silver Noah, still speaking to Poco. "I told them to come to the Silver Noah. They'll be here soon enough." Poco watched as his friend walked further away. He stared towards the desert and wondered about what Arc had told him. Poco never expected Tosh and Kukuru to hold any feelings for each other, whereas Arc and Kukuru seemed more inclined to fall in love. He held this thought for a moment but was quickly interrupted by the light growls of his famished stomach. A faint blush ran across his cheeks as he hurried towards the Silver Noah to grab his lunch.

Meanwhile Kukuru and Tosh stayed silent after the ordeal with Arc's appearance. The heavy atmosphere seemed to be almost chocking Kukuru. She did not gasp or wheeze but she felt as though her heart couldn't breath. The mellow air did not seem so calm anymore. Mixed feelings of anger, bitterness, confusion, and love filled the gap between her, Tosh, and Arc's relationship. The silence was killing Kukuru and she couldn't stand it anymore as she rose up to leave the area. "We should get back to the Silver Noah." Kukuru started walking away as her light steps only made heavy imprints within the desert sands.

"Wait…" Kukuru paused for a moment and decided to not turn to look at him. "We…we need to settle this."

"Settle what?"

"…you know what I'm talking about…" This time Tosh rose up and looked towards Kukuru's direction, feeling a bit of impatience brewing under his tongue.

"No, I do not." Kukuru kept her calm, saying those words with perfect ease. The ease of her mind ceased when she felt Tosh's broad hand grab her arm harshly and straighten her so that she can look right into him.

"There is no use denying it because you clearly showed it when Arc came to make an appearance!"

"Wh-What exactly did I show…"

"That's not for me to answer now, is it!"

"Then what are you trying to imply!" She callously tried to release her arm from his hand but he abruptly tightened his grip.

"I'm not implying anything." His voice lowered as he seemed to have regained control over his eruption of emotions. "I want to know the truth…"

"…." Kukuru let her eyes fall for she too wanted to know the truth more than anyone, not only about herself but about Arc. Tosh's feelings for her were rather evident. She has to admit, she knew his feelings long before now, but she always caught herself in the habit of denying everything, even the possibility that Arc had feelings for her. Her feelings were more jumbled than she realized. She felt a sudden gap inside that she could not combine. It's as if she had to choose one path from the two shown. The only problem was, both paths seemed to promise much happiness and delights. Her feelings for Tosh were clustered into many piles of events. She remembered times when she hated him, as well as times when she admired him. She remembered herself giving slight glances at him, and also the way he gave slight glances at her. She remembered so many good memories that made her feeling comfortable around his presence. Then there was Arc. Arc was the most mysterious person she had met. Even after their first meeting under the Guardians Peak, she continuously felt a strange, calm aura when she was around him. She and Arc held no similarities except their goal and destiny. Perhaps that's what helped her to lean towards his direction more often than not. There was always this need to be around him, but her doubts about his feelings for her kept her from coming close. She couldn't think of it anymore. The matter was too difficult to reorganize at the time. "…I…I don't know."

Tosh dimmed with bitter disappointment. "…I see…" He let go of his grasp on her arm and looked towards the desert that led to the Water Shrine. A moment of another silence marked the walls of the cliffs before them. The sun lowered to emit dashes of ginger gleams through the red crags. "Kukuru, there may be nothing that I have that is comparable to Arc but I can tell you that my feelings for you may have reached a point where it can't turn back anymore." Kukuru looked at him seeming to understand him.

"I know Tosh. I'm sorry…that I've just confused you. I…I think I feel nothing, nothing for anyone. Or maybe those feelings are just not tangible yet. I have to wait for them to turn up to maybe truly find out where my heart is leading. But for now…I find that I could only hold feelings of friendship for you."

"…What about Arc?"

"…Arc…same with him…I don't want the wrong information to be said to anyone."

Tosh gave a little sigh and scratched his head. "Well, if there ever is a need for you to spill some information, I hope that you come to me first and tell me…I wouldn't want to be the last to know about anything." Kukuru was glad that their uneasy mood returned to its normal status. She nodded as they both realized their conversation lasted much longer than they expected. The gray moon began to peel away from the purple sky and shade the world with its dim light. As Kukuru and Tosh ran towards across the desert, the slim shadows of necromancers began to travel across the cliffs with them to foreshadow their impeding doom. On the other hand, Gogen hovered over the window of the Silver Noah with annoyance, grumbling curses under his ancient beard. Chongara let his pot settle next to his feet as his huge desert hat shaded his sleeping eyes. Iga also seemed a little worried that their two companions seemed to be missing. Poco jumped from side to side, holding a pale expression and mingling with his Wild Lion Drum, until Gogen slammed his wooden cane on his head.

"Would you stop your rattling for crying out loud! You could wake the dead with your clatter!" Gogen grumbled as he grew ever more impatient at Tosh and Kukuru's absence.

"Gomenasai, Gogen. I'm just getting a little worried about them. It's getting so late and who knows what is out there. I have a feeling that something might have hap-

Unfortunately, before Poco could finish Gogen slammed his magic cane once more onto his head. "Now that's the problem with you edgy youngsters! You can't keep your mouth from spelling out disasters! ARC!" Arc, who seemed to be leaning against the wall with ease, looked towards Gogen. "My goodness gracious! Have you nothing to say to what's going on here?" Gogen reacted to Arc's ease with contempt.

"Oh…," Arc began to realize that he has been only thinking about what had happened before and hasn't been paying attention to what was going around him. "Go men, Gogen. I haven't realized how much time has passed."

"Well for guardians' sake, don't keep your head within the clouds and think of the matter at hand! It's passed many hours and our friends haven't arrived yet." Arc looked outside the window looking a little worried. He wondered if something could have happened, but taking that Tosh is one of the greatest warriors and Kukuru's blessed with the Guardians powers, it would be rather unlikely for them to find trouble within the desert. Before he could reply to Gogen, a gut retching scream had resonated from the distance. Everyone except Chongara reacted immediately as their bodies began to tense. Poco looked to Arc with worry, "That sounded like Kukuru!" Iga opened the shaft of the Silver Noah and looked to Arc. Arc immediately grabbed his sword and ran towards Iga. "Poco, I want you to stay here with Chongara. Having all of us go might be risky. We need Silver Noah protected. Gogen, I believe we would need your assistance to take us there fast enough to-

"No need to state the obvious! TELEPORT (telepoto)!" Immediately Gogen, Arc, and Iga disappeared from Poco's sight.

Kukuru had her foot entangled by the malicious ooze of the blood slimes. She thrust her Phantom gauntlet down into their amoeba flesh as her strike began to dismember their body all together. After being free, she was thrust down into the desert sands from the impact of Necromancer's Thunder Storm. She felt the burning sting on her right cheek as the Necromancer thrust his cane across her shoulder but barely missing and slightly hitting her face instead. Tosh came into view as he slashed the Necromancer across its back.

"Kukuru, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Suddenly a whole mass of Mad Puppeteers came into view across the desert sands. "…Ugh, more company." But before the mass of monsters began to surround Tosh and Kukuru a loud voice sounded from beyond the group of demons. "EXPLOSION!" Tosh and Kukuru smiled at the relieving voice of their friend as the rest of them came into view. As the blood slimes began to split into many counterparts, Iga ceased their action with a Taima-Kodan, throwing threads laser beams towards the massive group of blood slimes. Arc slashed the few of the mad puppeteers that survived from Gogen's elemental attack and looked to Kukuru and Tosh, noticing they were fighting back to back from the final row of necromancers. Tosh thrust his long sword across the necromancers, finishing his blows with Ouka-raibaku-zen, letting the flutters of small cherry blossom petals flash by. Kukuru stepped in front and dashed through necromancers that were ready to attach with her fist sparking with faint blue energy. looks much like Kasumi's dashing move where she slashes the opponents the stomach with her hand Tosh slashed upwards as the necromancers were almost frozen from Kukuru's last attack.

"Nice assist." He chuckled under his breath as he got into position for more.

"Same to you." She smiled, seeing Tosh rush into the fury of battle once more. As she followed she looked back at her other friends, finding Arc and Gogen attacking the few blood slimes left. She looked a little worried that everyone seemed so preoccupied and wondered if what had happened earlier had affected Arc at all. Suddenly from behind her, a necromancer dragged Kukuru down onto the floor. She winced as she felt a sudden pain flow through her arm. With one of the monster's hand wrapped around her neck, and the other holding up his cane, Kukuru couldn't budge from the position. Tosh looked back, finding Necromancer about to smash Kukuru's face with his cane. As Tosh dashed in, his steps came a little late as Arc tackled the Necromancer. Kukuru gasped for air as Tosh took to her side and lifted her to her feet. As the necromancer threw Arc over, he prepared to end his poise with a shocking exit, but before he mutter the words for his 'Thunder Storm,' Kukuru blasted a sealing mark on the desert floor where the necromancer stood, shouting, "SILENCE! (Silento)" The necromancer panicked as he was out of words but that state of alarm was short lived as Arc and Tosh slashed across it before anymore harm could be done. Arc put his sword back in his sheath and looked at Kukuru, who returned his glance with a sincere smile. Reacting in no particular way, he looked at Tosh, who chuckled lightly.

"It's a good thing you all came. We were certain this battle would have lasted all night without any help." Gogen and Iga came over and peering across the horizon. The storm seemed to have passed and the safety of everyone was ensured. Yet, the one responsible for their previous battle stood high on the mountaintop, observing their every action. The man, shadowed by the moon glare behind him, smiled, letting his glasses shimmer from the light. Before he turned to leave, he muttered a few words as the winds carried the heavy terror and brought it below. "Well then, I believe it would kill Poco if we left him waiting in the Silver Noah any longer. Why not we take leave of this dismal graveyard?" Gogen balanced on his staff, getting ready to teleport everyone back.

"Good idea, Gogen." Arc replied, but before he could take another step towards his companions, he felt an ominous weight upon the winds. Kukuru immediately noticed what Arc was feeling for her body started to weight heavier than the mountains themselves. Arc dropped to his knees feeling gravity pull everything below them.

"Ugh! …What in the-

Tosh and Iga were barely able to withstand the sudden change in the atmosphere. Gogen quickly hovered over them, strangely unaffected by the dilemma, and leaned his staff closer to his companions.

"Quick, grab my staff! There is a strange spell cast in the earth and wind! We must leave now!" Tosh and Iga struggled to lift their arms, fighting against gravity, and as Arc tried his hardest to crawl towards the staff, he felt the earth beneath him crumble. He looked below him, shocked that the sands began to sink deeper and even sputter from the crevices that erupted from the floor. Kukuru tried her hardest to limp towards Arc, but before she could step further Arc's voice yelled from the distance.

"Kukuru, don't come any closer!" Arc felt his foot suddenly give way as he felt the depth of the unknown and the abysmal height of where he would possibly fall into. Kukuru, being stubborn as she was, dashed towards him and held out her hand.

"Arc, hurry! Grab my hand!" She felt the desert floor rumble and fall out of place. The pain of the Earth Guardian rang through her veins and she knew Arc could feel the same sting in the Wind Guardian. Arc finally through all his strength grabbed her hand, as they began to pull each other towards Gogen cane. Gogen tried to reach closer to their falling companions but the weight of the winds were now causing him to lose way. Tosh cursed under his breath as he tried to bring Gogen's cane closer to Arc and Kukuru. Iga with all his might tried to hold Gogen in balance. Arc lost his balance as the last piece of earth fell below, causing him to lose his grasp with Kukuru's hand and hang barely by digging his fingers through the sands of the desert, if that would last long enough to keep him steady. From the depth he was in, he could see Kukuru trying her hardest to reach him from below.

"Kukuru, go back!" The last piece of earth that he held balance to began to crumble. "Or you will fall as well!"

"No!" The winds began to react differently as the sands began to pick up and blind their sight. "Arc, my hand…" Although Arc could barely see her figure, he tried his hardest to reach out but it only caused him to lose way and find it harder to hold onto the earth. From far away, Kukuru heard Tosh's voice call out. It seemed as though they could not see them as well.

"This is no use; we must leave now!" Gogen ready to use his spell was stopped by Tosh's sudden grip.

"Not without Arc and Kukuru!" Tosh and Iga seemed to agree with one another as they tried their hardest to dash towards the blinding winds. "Arc! Kukuru!" Although Tosh shouted as much as he could, the sands began to nearly choke him. Suddenly he heard her faint voice holler out to them.

"Just go!" Tosh looked faintly bewildered by what she had said. Arc, on the other hand, looked just as bewildered at the fact that Kukuru would stay for his sake. Gogen nodding, clutched Tosh and Iga unexpectedly. "WAIT!" Unfortunately, Tosh's request was brief as Gogen had already transported them to the Silver Noah. Kukuru held out her hand further and as she barely felt Arc's fingertips, the earth below her perished. Arc and Kukuru barely stayed in balance as their bodies tumbled over and fell into the darkness. Kukuru let out a yelp as Arc reached out to her.

"Kukuru!" She reached out her hand to him as he grabbed it. He pulled her closer to him and she clutched onto body, feeling the darkness consume them. He held her close to him and shut his eyes, feeling a little ease from her presence. Kukuru leaned into him, feeling that this might be the end. The rush of their fall broiled fear and dread for what to come in the end. Wails of the darkness sent shivers behind her back and made her shudder. The extent of their fall began to make both of them lose their conscious, however, a faint glow had caught Kukuru's attention that she glanced behind her.

"…this light…is this…?" Arc glanced up as she spoke those words, feeling the warmth from above. Kukuru and Arc's bodies faintly glistened as the darkness around them began to fade away and the light carried them from the abyss. The figure on the mountain looked pleased as he saw both of his victims disappear into the hell hole that he created. As he took his index finger to lift his glasses up a bit, he turned to leave. Suddenly he stopped and whirled around with a confounded look, finding a faint glow emit from the darkness.

"…im-impossible!" Then he covered his eyes as the darkness completely vanished from the seal of eternal doom, and burst of light fluttering like the rush of thousands of doves flying toward the sky flared from the darkness. "How can this be…" He grumbled under his breath and shut his eyes from the sudden brightness. As the last flutter of wings took flight from the illumination, a small wave of energy waved around. He peered carefully and saw two figures held safely within a transparent sphere of energy, which blasted away from the area and headed towards the Water Shrine. Finally, the area ceased to be bright and the shades of the night filled the area like it was before, casting shadows from the falling moon. The man gripped his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth. "Damn those guardians…Soon…Arc…Soon, you will die." With this, he flung his large coat about him and walked away crossly.

Meanwhile, Poco cringed in the corner of the room as Tosh and Iga were rushing about, angry and confused, trying to leave and find their lost friends. Gogen, however, stood in their path. Frankly, it seemed as though Tosh and Iga were ready to tackle Gogen down, but Chongara got in the front and held them.

"ACK…Now now! No need for violence among friends!" Chongara pushed Tosh away as Poco immediately came to hold Iga from advancing.

"Are you mad, Gogen! What do you mean, we must stay here!" Tosh seemed to almost boil over and erupt like a volcano.

"I mean what I say, Tosh! There is no way we can survive out there…at least not with our powers…" Iga calmed himself as he approached Gogen.

"What can we do then, to help our friends?" Gogen looked distressed and shook his head. "The truth is, there is no real answer. Yet, one thing for certain, that attack was not directed towards us." A silence grimaced among them as Tosh spoke up from the grim situation.

"I don't understand…then who-

"That spell was aimed at Arc and Arc alone. Although I don't know anyone strong enough to cast such a spell, I believe that spell was strictly forbidden to be spoken because of the damage it does to nature itself. They may be in grave danger but out presence there, will only be burden. If you've remembered, we weren't even barely able to pass through the sand barrier…" Iga sat down against the seat and sighed, dusting his hair from the sand storm.

"Damn, then…then we can't do anything…" Tosh gripped his hand and lowered his head in grief. Gogen hovered towards the window and peered forth.

"No…we can only wait, and pray for their safety…" The Silver Noah stayed silent that night, if not for Poco's soothing melody from his golden harp. The light of the moon began to fall short to the growing light of the waking sun, as the spread of its light brightened the sky to a cerulean ray. The following rays gleamed through the crevices inscribed on the walls of the Water Shrine. The light crept across the floor and fell across Arc's face. He cringed from the glaring daylight and slightly opened his eyes. The calm azure palace glistened from the sun's reflections. The atmosphere was welcoming as Arc slightly got up, feeling a pounding headache and his aching body disturb the serene moment. He shook his head and glanced below, finding Kukuru lying slightly on his chest peacefully asleep. He stopped in his position, just staring at her pale face. Then he noticed that her face had a slight cut from last night's battle with the Necromancer. He lifted his arm, as if to softly heal the wound, but held his hand for a moment. The scene of Tosh and Kukuru's embrace flashed through his mind for a second. He felt a little reluctant to stay close to Kukuru, but he shook his head and chased away the silly thought. Feeling it was unnecessary to hold back, he lightly stroked her lovely face, emitting a small glow that magically healed the scratch. His gentle gesture woke up Kukuru, who at the moment noticed Arc hand lightly stroking her face. A little surprised, Arc quickly took his hand away and leaned away for her to get up. Kukuru slightly leaned back and stared at Arc, who stared at her back in the same confused gaze. Arc couldn't find any words to say and the only ones he could think of made him sound incredibly stupid that he decided not to speak at all. Kukuru, on the other hand, didn't know how to respond. Even a thankful reply would sound a little dismal at the moment, that Kukuru just kept her mouth shut. Fortunately, their silence were interrupted by the sudden flow of water that burst from the fountains within the end of the Water Shrine. From the pool of crystal clear cascade, the Water Guardian arose with a splashy entrance. Arc and Kukuru got up and approached the weak Guardian, who seemed almost transparent against the sky blue walls of the shrine.

"Arc…Kukuru…." The Water Guardian weakly bobbed along the pool, like a beach ball that has been over inflated and couldn't balance.

"Thank you for rescuing us, Water Guardian." Kukuru lifted her eyes up with worry for the protector of all that held water on the planet.

"Yes, we are in your debt again…"

"No…no, Arc and Kukuru…it was not I who was responsible for your safety…" The Water Guardian began to vanish from the bottom. "There isn't much time…the other Guardians grow weaker by the days…The Light Guardian with all its strength was able to save you from the bottomless pit of darkness…He seemed to have found your bond intriguingly powerful that he was able to render your strengths with his own. Your will, Arc, to survive and to protect as with your will, Kukuru, to guide and to save created a powerful harmony that the Light Guardian used to rescue you two." Arc and Kukuru looked at each other briefly, but returned their glance back towards the Guardian.

"Last night's incident…was not accident, was it?" Arc questioned the nature of the occurrence, knowing clearly well that it would be nearly impossible for the planet to act in such a manner, without the hands of some powerful force such as the Guardians.

"Indeed…a dark presence looms about us…but he or she is deceptive. Some time, we Guardians, felt the presence but it seems as though our adversary knows more about the Ark and its power than we perceive. Be careful, Arc…Kukuru…Evil comes in many forms…" And with those last warnings, the Water Guardian couldn't keep its physical form visible for too long. Arc and Kukuru looked deeply distressed, contemplating on what the Guardians had spoken. Then Kukuru stared into Arc, beginning to drive at a conclusion.

"Do you suppose…what we felt last night could have been him…or her?"

"…I don't know. Whoever it was, that person was too powerful to actually grasp. For a moment, I felt as though my body was frozen stiff, as if all that remained a part of me vanished."

"Exactly how I felt! I felt…the Guardians tremble…not in fear, but from agony. If this force had the powers to hinder the strength of the Guardians, then we must act quickly to stop this madness from prolonging." Kukuru turned and started walking towards the direction of the exit. "Let us hurry, Arc."

"Right…Tosh would also be worried." With this, Kukuru stopped and looked at him a little lost.

"Tosh?" Kukuru, standing a few feet from him, looked into his eyes, which seemed to look nonchalant but hide a touch of gloom.

"Well, you know…what I mean." He began walking towards the exit, reaching to the area where Kukuru stood, who was still staring, puzzled at his words. "You and Tosh are…well…" He stumbled as if he was out of words and a little confused. "…not that I would know clearly but uh…you guys are just…um…" He scratched his head for a moment and looked towards the exit, as if he was about to run and embrace the freedom of accepting what he didn't want to believe was true. He sighed as Kukuru walked to stand in front of him.

"…in love?" She questioned, as if to finish the last words of his mumbled sentences.

"Yea…" He looked solemnly away, not in disgust, but as if he was now ready to accept what he didn't wish to face. He passed her presence and began to walk towards the exit, keeping his face steady and stern until he heard Kukuru sudden footsteps catch up to him. She ran in front of him, looking straight into his eyes with annoyance as if to pierce the very bottom of his soul.

"ARC! You—you—you Ignorant FOOL!" Arc looked baffled for a moment, as though the last two words spoken by Kukuru hit him with a lightning effect.

"I…uh…don't understand why-" Sadly before he could finish, Kukuru advanced towards him portentously, glaring into his face.

"Did you actually think I was IN LOVE!"

"Um…I— "

"How dare you assume without really knowing!" Kukuru turned away as if to shun his very presence. Arc's face changed from his baffled pretense into his original stature, as Kukuru's words seemed to sink into his mind more clearly. He stepped a little closer and had a great need for the answer to his next question.

"You mean—you mean you're not?" Arc's face seemed to light up with surprise but more of like a child anxiously waiting to receive a gift. With a sweet smile and a tone that seemed to be clearer and more understanding, she turned around to face him once again.

"Of course not, silly. What made you think such a thing?" With an angel face as such as hers, no one would expect to find the face of a lion when she was upset. She continued her path towards the exit with a sense of relief, letting him know the truth of the matter. She heard his voice answering, as he walked along with her.

"I guess I just misunderstood from yesterday…" He gave a sigh of relief and shook his head as if to curse himself for even getting so preoccupied with the situation.

"Indeed you misunderstood!" She started walking backwards, speaking to him directly. "Tosh and I are just friends…for now at least. There is just so much to do, I don't think it's the appropriate time to think of such things. I mean, we should think about it after the whole messy situation is over. That way, peace will find its way of joining two hearts together. Don't you agree?" He smiled at her as they have finally reached the exit. The long corridors ended with the small path that led to the desert sands.

"Yes…I agree. Let's go back, Kukuru…" He began to walk first onto the tiny specks of dust, leaving foot prints through his course. Kukuru followed leisurely right after his foot steps, relieved by the breaking of tension between them. At least now, they would be comfortable around each other again. Yet the mysterious figure that the Guardian warned about stayed in their minds for quite some time. The problem was, they both haven't met him, even till now, after defeating and resealing the Dark One. The world seemed to continue its tragic course without the Dark One present within the time.

Arc reflecting upon the memory, suddenly started to wonder about this mysterious person. True, the strength of their companions increased greatly from that time, but he couldn't budge the fear that entrapped him whenever he wondered if he or anyone else had to face his powers one day. Just as it takes the Dark One many years to recuperate its energy, the Guardians would need time to return to its complete health. Arc continued thinking of ways to somehow stop the dreadful end to the Guardians by stopping the one who held the power of darkness. Then Arc stopped, realizing again that he wouldn't have any strength to fight with his allies even with the skills with his sword. His sudden flow of memories was interrupted by the gentle shove of Kukuru.

"Arc…? Arc…? What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm? Oh…nothing. Just about the past, Kukuru." Kukuru turned back to face Tosh, who smiled and pointed towards the Silver Noah.

"The ship seems to be ready for a lift off. Chongara had a hell of a lot mess to fix in the beginning though. Why don't you check it out a bit?"

"Thanks, Tosh. I'll do that." Arc, Kukuru, and Tosh began their travel back to the Silver Noah. Inside the powerful ship, Chongara began his tragic search for his money pouch. Every moment he searched under the seats, Kelack held it above where he couldn't see. The moment he lifted his head, Kelack dropped the pouch to Mofly, which snickered mischievously as it crawled away towards the cockpit. Chongara grumbled and looked towards Kelack.

"Kelack! You've seen my pouch, neh?" The Kelack merely gave him innocent faces shaking their heads. He groaned and looked away, giving them a chance to cheer with glee by the fact that they were terribly annoying Chongara at the moment. Chongara walked towards the cockpit, which made the Kelack act in panic and run inside before him. Unfortunately, as they entered, Mofly still had trouble finding a good place to hide the pouch. Kelack rushed and grabbed the pouch, running between Chongara's legs before he could recognize what they were carrying. Mofly slouched as if to pretend it was sleeping, as Chongara passed by his little friend and searched frantically under the mechanisms. Then he scratched his head and looked at Mofly in suspicion. Noticing the peacefully state Mofly seemed to be in, he humbly accepted the fact that searching for it might be pointless and walked out into the hallway. Unfortunately for Kelack, who were rushing towards particularly no where, stumbled and fell, dropping the pouch, which produced a large crashing sound. Chongara rushed out and recognized the sound the instant he heard it. Finding his precious on the floor, he gleefully walked towards the pouch. The Kelack argued amongst each other, telling each it was one of their faults for the fall. Suddenly a chilling shadow befell on them, as they stared upwards to notice that it was Hemo-ji. Hemo-ji gave its usual groan and looked at the object he had picked up. The Kelack smiled, noticing it was the pouch that had fallen. Chongara reaching to the area where Kelack fell, smiled gratefully at Hemo-ji.

"Ah, Hemo-ji…Chongara say good job to you. I might not have found it if you haven't—" Suddenly without a second thought, Hemo-ji, with all his stupidity, gobbled the entire pouch down his throat. All was filled with a trembling silence. Kelack looked shocked, all three faces, and even the Mofly that approached them from behind stopped in horror. Chongara, frozen with the smile still pressed against his face, looked at Hemo-ji as if he didn't exist, as if what he saw before him was just a mirage to trick his idle mind. Yet, Hemo-ji sounded its usual lethargic groan, breaking the silence, and gave a little smile after his satisfactory meal, proving the validity of its existence.

"YOU IMBECILE! What you done!" Chongara immediately grabbed the obviously clueless Hemo-ji and began nearly choking the uninformed creature. "Hurry! Chongara demand you spit out! Spit out! Now!" With haste, Chongara pulled Hemo-ji and shook him vigorously upside down. Of course, nothing plopped from the mouth of Hemo-ji. Chongara abruptly dropped Hemo-ji, who fell right on top of his furry cone-shaped head, rolling to his side. "Ohh…all my life work and now inside Hemo-ji stomach…Ohhh…" Kelack and Mofly looked at Hemo-ji with panic and rushed him toward the exit, telling him to run before Chongara would start a tantrum and find other means of reaching the pouch. Hemo-ji, however, being slow as he was, groaned and walked slowly towards the exit until Chongara's large voiced echoed through the hall. "Where is HE! Hemo-ji, You come back this instant!" Hemo-ji began running quickly through the exit, sadly, crashing into Tosh, who had just arrived.

"What the-!" Tosh losing his balance, stumbled into Arc and soon fell onto him.

"..Tosh! What are you— " Arc immediately lost his balance as well and wavered. No matter how hard he tried to keep them all in balance, the last of the bowling ball, Chongara, shouting Hemo-ji's name, smashed into his friends as if they were markers that ended the bowling round and broke the point of balance that Arc nearly stabilized. As they rolled down the lift with extreme speed, Kukuru slightly moved towards the left side and avoided the sudden catastrophe with ease. A large thunder of their weight hitting the bottom was heard from above, where Kukuru looked back with worry. Within the pile of three men, who all looked terribly in pain, Hemo-ji lifted his head and opening his mouth, revealing the untouched pouch within its mouth.

"Hemo-ji! I'm going to-" Chongara stopped and grabbed the pouch inside Hemo-ji's mouth and looked inside, finding all the coins intake. He cheered with joy and hugged Hemo-ji forcefully, swinging him from side to side and stepping more than twice on Tosh's back. "Hurray! Chongara thank Hemo-ji! Pouch is back and Safe! What Joy!"

"Chongara! It hasn't even been three days since the last battle, and we happen to have broken bones here! Get off! You Big Baboon!" Chongara began skipping elsewhere as Tosh demanded while Kelack and Mofly, standing next to Kukuru, looked relieved. Tosh placed his hand behind his lower back and stretched to lean back, creating a few crackling noises within his spine. "Urgh…the things we suffer through even after the Dark One…right, Arc?" He gave a little chuckle as he helped Arc up from the bottom of the piggy pile.

"You can mention that again. Urgh…now let's…head into Silver Noah."

Together they started to head inside their faithful ship. Upon reaching the interiors, the sky began to fall through the noon and faded to the blissful night, where everyone took a relaxing sleep within the cabins of the Silver Noah. Shu and Iga also returned from the job of securing the safety of their companions and returned to their rooms to receive their sleep. Lieza, inside her room with Shante, briefly took a moment to observe the stars that illustrated the hours of darkness. The moon vibrated intensely against the wounded planet, glistening through the windows in Elc's room. Elc relaxed on the comfort of his bed, sighing as he found it hard to fall asleep. Finding the world in ruins not only disturbed Elc but made him wonder how long it would take to let the world return to normal. The profound situation made Elc wonder about what to do in the future as well. Would he go on being a hunter? He didn't have the answers to the questions about his future, thus, he felt a bitter sentiment that fate was not done toying with their destiny. The hour passed by viciously and Elc felt his eyes lids drop heavily.

Suddenly a crisp step caused Elc to immediately open his eyes and stand up from the bed, looking straight towards the direction of the sound. He grabbed the remaining portion of his partisan and slowly pushed the door open. Again he heard light steps falling into a rapid dash. With the eyes and ears of a hunter, Elc was already experienced when it came to detecting where the steps came from. He looked across the hallway, finding the shadow of the person lagging behind. Before more suspicion could fill Elc, he sighed and relaxed his partisan for the shadow belonged to none other than Kukuru. Yet, curious of where she would travel off to in this hour, he decided to slightly follow her. From behind, he could barely hear her breathing and even make a sound, but he made sure to not let himself be noticed. Elc noted the strange way she was behaving, as if she became nostalgic over all the aspects of her life. He noticed the constant way she touched the seats of the Silver Noah and even wondering inside the cockpit. Whatever she was doing, Elc suspected as though she was being stealthy, even if that didn't match her character at all. Suddenly the lift of the ship was opened and Elc immediately hid within the shadows to not let the sudden burst of light reveal his presence. Now Elc was more confused by her behavior. Just exactly what was she planning on doing, Elc thought to himself. Then Elc scrutinized her pale face from the light outside, showing only signs of sorrow but determination within itself. Kukuru stepped outside and walked lightly down the lift. Elc, taking a moment to piece the puzzle like situation together, nearly jumped from fright when he heard Kukuru's soft voice call out to him.

"Elc…" Elc did not speak, trying his hardest to veil himself. "I know you were there from the beginning…" Her sigh was heard from outside of the ship as she continued. "Do me a favor…Will you close the lift for me? I'm afraid I won't be able to do so…" Elc only sent back silence, but Kukuru didn't let the moment last as she began to run towards the thickets, hoping to find a place unknown to many. She ran and she did not turn back. She was leaving her friends, and she was leaving Arc for as long as she could find herself again. Elc, hearing her rapid footsteps become fainter and disappear from his audible range, finally realized what was going on. He jumped towards the lift and ran quickly down, attempting to stop her path, even when he couldn't know where to look, for all the thickets looked exactly the same around the ship. Nevertheless, he must try and find her. He was just about to run before a hand grabbed his shoulder, stopping his course of action. Elc whirled around to find Arc, looking towards the thickets seriously. Elc couldn't find words to describe the expression Arc held, they were not that of sadness or anger. He looked composed, as if there was a link between her and him that helped him know almost exactly what was going on.

"Arc…?" Elc looked backed towards the thickets, wondering how far Kukuru would have gone by now. He returned his gaze to Arc impatiently waiting for some sort of reply.

"Let her go…" Arc took his hand off Elc's shoulder, still keeping his eye on the thickets where Kukuru disappeared into.

"But…but Arc. She's alone and all by herself she's going to be—"

"Kukuru could handle herself. Don't worry, nothing would happen to her. She's stronger than she looks." His voice remained calm and distinct, revealing the sharp undertone within his voice that seemed to cover his confusion as well.

"I don't understand…why would she just run?" Arc remained silent. Elc wondered that he may be have been asking the same question to himself. The night remained dark as ever, lit only by the pale grace of the moon. The winds shuddered passed the Silver Noah as Elc's dark hair swayed from side to side. The intensive look on Arc's face, made Elc feel a little awkward or perhaps awestruck by the way he didn't take his eyes off the thickets.

"She ran so that she can find herself again…"

"Find herself? What do you mean?"

"…the truth is, I don't know either. She needs to regain her strength…that's what she believes. Perhaps the shock of what had happened after the fall of the Dark One had taken toll on her…"

"…She blames herself…"

"More than anything…"

"Then ARC! We have to get her back here! There's no use in keeping oneself away even when the person is feeling completely guilty all over. Only through us can she face those doubts…and win over her guilt"

"No…I will not follow her…"

"What? Why not?" Arc closed his eyes and faced Elc sternly. His eyes had signs of bitterness and pain, which Elc could completely relate.

"Elc, how did you deal with Mariel's death? Was is not the struggle that kept you from waking up, finding yourself, again?" Elc looked a little shocked by Arc's sudden reference to Elc's past, and surprised by his solemn expression, an expression that told him he knew much more than Elc could imagine. "Had it not been for your victory, would you be trapped in the eternal emptiness of your nightmares. Kukuru…doesn't want to sleep…she doesn't want to fall into the struggle the way you have…the way others have…" Finally, Arc looked at the thickets one last time. "I'm not going to follow her…it'll only hurt her." With this, Arc turned around and headed towards the Silver Noah, Elc quietly stood behind watching him walk forward on the lift and disappear into the ship.

Elc turned around to face the thickets again. He gripped his hand and looked up into the sky. The stars speckled the dark velvet within cluster and masses of themselves with different sizes. Elc looked intently but stopped for a moment, finding two stars separated from the rest of the stars that were clumped together. The lonely stars glistened the brightest, emitting a glow that shined beyond the faint light of the other stars. He let his head fall as he closed his eyes.

"Sometimes one has to face his inner demons by himself…" Elc walked towards the Silver Noah, prepared to take a long rest before the morning caught up to the time within reach.


	2. Rain of Shadows

Disclaimer:

"**Arc the Lad** " is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.

Rain of Shadows

Slow clamors within the dark corridors could be heard from afar. The darkness began to boil and consume everything in its path. It's trickling tentacles stretching out from the mass of evil that had been cultivated over centuries, unraveled before the world. Yet within all its black and bitter colors of the world stood a presence that couldn't be perceived. Surrounding by the rays of screaming pain and voices of threats and hate, the world of darkness revolved around him. The clamors grew louder now and from these short coming corridors, voices that mourned of death cried before the darkness. The lack of light, the world without any hope and love, was apparent in this mass apparel of blackness. The breaches of darkness swept the lands with their devastating demolishment. Through it all, only screams and roars of agony could be heard and through it all, only light remained never present. The light was crying, the light was weeping and through their despair, evil grew stronger and dominated the entire planet.

Arc gasped as he woke from the terrifying apparition of the world covered in darkness. He gripped his chest, finding a sudden flow of pain and uncertainty brewing before him. He messy chestnut hair apparently showed his lack of peace. He closed his eyes, trying vainly to extinguish all the horrifying images that haunted his minds. Confused, he shook his head, for he couldn't understand how he feared the reawakening of the Dark One again. The only reality that was more than obvious was the fact that the Dark One was resealed and wouldn't reawaken in an entire millennia. He received the relief of the sleepy sunlight that slightly crawled in through the crevice window of his room. Arc silently lifted from the comfort of his bed and walked to greet the waking red sun. The crimson color of the sun made him feel uneasy, though the color was fit for the morning. The red shadows that were cast onto the landscapes drizzled against the color of the environment like fresh blood spilled from his dreams. Arc seemed to continually doubt the incidents that his mind repeated in his mind over and over. The continual growth of his uncertainty made him realize that their battle might have been far from being over. He turned away from the bloody sun and looked to his sword and his father's armor. He wondered about how in his life, destiny seemed to restlessly contaminate all the peaceful moments he rarely grasped.

Slowly he began to dress into his clothing as he was able to fix the ruffled strands of his hair. Although the images still troubled Arc greatly, he decided that he should put them behind him for now. The world was in a period where peace must be brewed and hope must be grown. As he equipped himself silently, Arc wondered about Kukuru. Where she had gone, what she was doing at the moment, if she had survived the night, and when she would ever return. The hardest part that came to his attention, however, was telling the rest of his companions about why Kukuru left. Though the task would be difficult, he knew that they would understand sooner or later. Tosh, on the other hand, might prose to find her in the wilderness. If he ever would ask to go, Arc wondered what he was supposed to say. Finally, Arc decided that he shouldn't worry too much, but worry about how he can make his time on this desolate planet useful. Even with so much to worry about, Arc didn't want to let his companions fall into despair.

Chongara and Shu remained in the cockpit from dawn. There, Chongara continued his usual work of cleaning the inner compartments of Silver Noah's mechanisms. Shu was silently leaning against the wall, having nothing to look forward to except some peace and quiet. The quiet atmosphere slightly fluctuated as a creak of the door was heard from afar. The sound was from the door that Lieza just opened. Lieza, who was followed by her faithful monster, Paudit, walked along the quiet hallway of the Silver Noah. She stood alone watching the sun rise, emitting a brighter and brighter glow from its core. Paudit sat down next to her, patiently waiting next to his master's side. Lieza wondered about the civilians of Holn and Mother Claire. The more and more she wondered about her future, the more and more she felt a little lonely. Although it is clear that Elc had feelings for Mariel and Mariel alone, Lieza hoped that she could appease his pain. Unfortunately, Elc did not reflect the feelings for her the same way she showed her feelings for him. The soft whimper of Paudit told her that Paudit was a little bored not receiving any attention for quite some time. Lieza giggled as she stroked the dog-like beast's forehead lightly. She did not want to face the hardships of the world by herself, but she knew deep inside she would be all right. Now that she had organized the clumps of thoughts in her minds, all that she wanted was to go back home to her grandpa and Mother Claire. A light cough was heard behind her and she turned to find that Elc just opened the door of his room. He smiled at her attention and walked towards her.

"Morning, Lieza."

"Good morning, Elc." Paudit gave a little growl to alert Elc that he was present as well. Elc chuckled lightly by his ever aggressive, yet friendly behavior towards him.

"Morning to you too, Paudit." He kneeled and lightly smoothed the hair on Paudit's back. He looked up to find Lieza's sapphire eyes staring back at his. "Lieza, have you wondered what you were going to do from now on?"

"Yes, I have." She replied as he stood up facing the window. "I decided to go back home to my grandpa and Mother Claire. There, I think I can help my town folks and even the people of Ramul. Um…What about you, Elc?" He looked at her slightly confused but turned away seemingly unaware of the question spoken to him.

"The truth is…I'm not really sure. I wanted to continue as a hunter to sustain myself financially but there is an emptiness to it that wouldn't satisfy me. I mean, I don't really have a home to go back to…although Prodias and the pooch are still there…I don't really want to think about it for now, I guess…"

"I see…that's an easy solution to the question. I'm sure you'll find out what to do in the end…" Lieza looked slightly saddened by the fact that her days with everyone on the team shortened.

"Lieza…" Lieza looked up at Elc, who still kept his back towards her. The sun now glistened to display the glory of all the splendor of light. "..I…um…wanted to know if…if there were no place for me to turn to, would you welcome me openly?"

Lieza held her breath for a while before the words of his question were able to fully sink in. Paudit, who was apparently annoyed at Lieza's sudden silence, nudged her lightly to answer him quickly. "Oh!…O-Of course! I would be more than happy to, Elc." Elc turned to face her with an elevated expression.

"Thanks, Lieza…"

A light rumbling from the engines of Silver Noah caused both of them to jump a little. Even Paudit got on all four paws and looked about.

"What's going on?" Lieza's confused remark was shared by almost all their companions as Iga, Gruga, Shante, and Gogen started opening their doors, one by one, to the strange noises coming from the cockpit. The cockpit, occupied by Shu and Chongara, seemed to be the source of the uneasy disturbance. As Lieza and Elc stumbled their way in through the main part of their beloved ship, they noticed another person standing before the door.

"Arc?" Lieza exclaimed as they stood next to him.

"Lieza…Elc?" He turned noticing that they had found the source of the turbulence as well. They nodded at Arc, as he nodded back, opened the door and walked inside, inspecting the maintenance of the area. Slowly the rumbling ceased as the rest of the party looked about each other. Paudit relaxed and started to sniff the troubles that almost erupted. Elc and Lieza stood next to Arc, as they all heard the shutter from the cockpit opened, revealing a blackened Chongara and Shu.

"Chongara, Shu..." Arc approached them. "What had happened?"

Shu looked obviously irritated at Chongara and just sighed a long sigh. "Nothing serious, Arc. Chongara just got a little messy with the machine and almost got himself stuffed under the engine."

"So the rumbling was…?" Elc looked confused and turned to Lieza, who shared the same thoughts as Elc.

"Yes…it was Chongara. You're lucky you had me around to get you out of that bottomless burning pit." Shu lightly pat Chongara on the back. Chongara had streaks of black smears across his face as he coughed a little smoke out of his body. He, nevertheless, chuckled and smiled at his companions.

"Hehehe. All good though, neh? Chongara get all up for morning. Good Morning call!" Arc smiled as he looked inside to see that the cockpit didn't seemed to be affected by the previous disasters. "At least no one is hurt."

"What do you mean no one was hurt! Grrr…that rumbling nearly threw me off balance and caused me to break this ancient spine of mine." Gogen came flying in with minor anger.

"Don't forget to mention my beauty sleep…" Shania yawned as she stumbled on Iga's foot, but caught herself quickly. Arc looked among his friends, finding that everyone was present. He was relieved at how quick his companions were able to react to any danger, whether it is small or large. Arc closed his eyes and decided that now would be a good time to tell everyone about Kukuru's disappearance before someone noticed that Kukuru wasn't present. Unfortunately, the sharpness of little Choco never failed him.

"Where is Kukuru-sama? How come Choco can't see her here?" With the child's words, everyone was stirred and looking from side to side, noticing the truth in her words.

"I could answer that question." Everyone stared into Arc's face with a confused expression except Elc. Elc walked away from the crowd and stood looking outside of the window. "Kukuru…left. She had something to do…something that she was seeking…so…" Everyone continued to stare into his face, but this time with a worried expression. "She left us yesterday night. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. She'll be all right…she's strong. She wanted some fresh air by herself…for some time."

The silence of the room prolonged throughout the morning. Missing a companion, had taken a harder toll on everyone, especially Arc. Nevertheless, the everyday work continued as Chongara began working with the Silver Noah again. With a nervous cough, Gogen began meditating once again and Poco played his harp to sooth the distress that everyone felt. Arc didn't want his fellow friends discouraged so he decided this was the time to act.

"As Chongara said, the Silver Noah is able to take flight again." Everyone stopped to stare at him again. "This is when we can choose to part ways again. I'm sure each of us has places they belong to and places they wish to return to. Our mission here is done. We are free to go anywhere we wish." Although most of his companions were lifted by his words, some looked nonchalantly at what he had just said. There were many incidents that are still ever present in the minds of all their friends. Yet through more times without distress and prospering of their world, perhaps his companions will find comfort in the light of their own future.

On the other side of the world, a man cloaked in a silver robe walked silently across the Palencia Castle ruins. A malicious grin was shaped on his lips as he stared at the throne of the great kings of Palencia. As his elegant black shoes clicked with every step, he walked towards the throne. On the ruined seats, he gallantly sat down and leaned against the royal chair with ease. Within the silence, his light chuckles echoed throughout the halls. As intended, his laughter caught the attention of some people. As people of Palencia inspected the ruined castle, they all shuddered wondering what was inside. Intently looking upon the mystery, the residents of Palencia waited with patience. Suddenly, a dark figure silently walked from the ruins as the silver gleams of his robe were reflected from the sun's daily rays. Now away from the shadows, the man stood before the people, whose mouths were opened with shock and disbelief. He smiled a peaceful grin and spoke with a gentle voice.

"Hello everyone." His cheerful demeanor was a sudden transformation from his dark stature inside the ruins. Almost all the people before him fell on their knees before him.

"Uh…you're…you're…it can't be! You were dead!" An ancient man exclaimed with horror and fear.

"Pri-Prince Clive?" One of the guards asked with uncertainty as the face of the man seemed to reflect the face of their prince, son of their recently dead king of Palencia, who was missing since five years ago. "Is it really you?"

The man named Clive, smiled and walked to the guard, lifting him to his feet. "Yes, I have returned. There is much to talk about, why don't we go inside the town."

The people of Palencia seemed to be delightful of the return of their prince. After the entire day of speaking with the people of the town, Clive was finally alone within the quiet of the inn. He chuckled as he brushed his few light gray hair aside from his eyes, taking his glasses off and peering deeply into the mirror before him. Inside his reflection brewed a strange darkness that shaped his body. A voice echoed faintly inside his mind, the tone was dark and filled with ominous intents.

"Well done, Clive…"

"The people here are easier to deceive than we have thought. Now we must only wait for him to return here." Clive shrugged and lightly grinned.

"Yes…he will come, sooner or later. Till then, you must hold a stronger bond with your kingdom. He must not be able to rule Palencia…for then, our plans will be destroyed."

"I understand, master."

Light snickers were heard from within as the darkness spoke again. "It was wise of me to choose to you, Clive. Now I can get my revenge on the retched fool that tried to keep me entangled in the seal for another millennia. Yet, he is deceived if he believes that my end was the end of his misery. Hehe. I will make sure every moment he lives from now on will be of only pain and suffering. Clive, as long as you are here, I will be reborn again…and this time, there is nothing they can do about it. Absolutely nothing!" A roar of mad laughter echoed throughout the night as Clive smiled and placed his glasses back onto eyes. He slowly walked away from the mirror and looked through the window.

"So what are you waiting for, Arc? Come take your kingdom from me." He spoke with a deep and slow firm voice. His bottomless blue eyes glistened as he spoke. The clear sky began to choke with sudden flood of gloomy clouds and dust that invaded the peaceful state of the weather. Claps of thunder and sudden glow of lightning welcomed Clive. "Without the powers of your Guardians…and the Guardians now weak…what can you do to me?" His eyes returned the normal luster as he merely chuckled for a moment but threw his head back to let out his laughter of triumph.

The change in weather took many civilians by surprise. With all the ruined towns and shambled created from the previous disaster, the rain was not the friendly life giving water. The rain that took over the world seemed to splatter on the floor with pain and suffering, supple with a glow of sadness. There were not many places for the people to hide under or fall asleep. Even Chongara found it rather uncomfortable navigating through the blistering winds and the crying heavens.

"Urgh! What wrong with weather! Making Chongara angry and nervous! Hey, Arc…how many more stops would I have to make?" With Chongara's question, Arc peered behind him finding Shu, Elc, Lieza, and Shante. Luckily Shu, Shante, and Elc were heading into East Aldia all together. Only Lieza would have to be transported to Forles.

"Two more places, Chongara. Can Silver Noah hold on till then?"

"Pah! Silver Noah can fly for more than that. Don't worry, I'll get them safely back home. No need to worry!" Arc smiled at Chongara's change from the first time they met him. Although the only true desire Chongara had in his mind was to become the richest merchant that ever existed, after meeting Arc, Chongara's spirit took a strange turn. His desire for gold and riches remained but another desire to stay with his companions grew stronger inside. Luckily, through his skills, Shania was able to return to Millmana and Gruga returned to Brakia to seek his adopted daughter while Choco, who missed the peace of the Time Forest, returned to Clenia Isle. Diekbeck decided to tag along with Shania, until he felt the real need to return to Yagos Isle. Although Shania refused greatly in the beginning, Iga's soft talk of wisdom caused her to accept Diekbeck. On their visit to Millmana, Arc and his companions decided not on visiting the Toyoke Forest. Gogen warned them that forest would time to recover and our presence there wouldn't be helping the Forest Guardian at all. Thus, their travel to Millmana was brief, allowing only little time for Iga and Shania to share words, which seemed to cause Shania to be a little disappointed and angry, taking that she felt as though there were something growing between them. After her departure, Iga, on the other hand, was immediately rebuked by Gogen for being so incredibly shy.

Shante and Gruga decided to keep in touch more than often. She hoped that his daughter would be safe and enjoy a life filled with visions and light. Gruga and Shante held a strong bond for each other, and they hoped that their friendship would last forever. Meanwhile, on their restless flight, it was finally time for them to watch Lieza depart from the large crowd. As Chongara safely landed at the Forles Airport, he opened the lift, revealing the bellowing of the cold winds screeching through the chambers. Grabbing onto her excess hair that wavered without control, Lieza and Paudit stepped down a few steps of the lift. She turned to face her companions who smiled back.

"Good luck to you, Lieza." Shante waved from entrance, standing next to Shu who also nodded with her reply.

"It was a delight knowing such a bright and beautiful lady as yourself." Gogen said hovering among the rest of his companions.

"Be safe, Lieza-chan!" Poco waved lightly. Arc also stood next to him and smiled. "Thank you for all your help."

Lieza smiled back at everyone and bowed. "Thank you everyone. I won't ever forget you all." When she looked up, she noticed Elc, who stood next to Arc. He stared back at her with a slight sadness. "Goodbye…Elc."

Elc nodded and gave her his usual grin. "I'll see you later, Lieza."

"Yes…I'll be looking forward to your visit." As she turned and stepped down along the lift, she did not turn back. She finally walked away from the Silver Noah enough spaces away for the Silver Noah to take flight again. She turned around, standing under the port roof, to watch her friends depart. As the rain drizzled against the ship, the lift slowly detached from the floor and began to close onto Silver Noah. Elc's and Lieza's eyes never stirred as they stood staring at each other. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he closed it. Lieza stood, staring at Elc's figure. She only wondered how much he had grown from the first time they've met. He was so confused and in despair, only seeking revenge. Yet now, he seemed to have matured, the gleam in his eyes showed the obstacles that he had conquered. It reflected his strength and his faith in his friends. Lieza admired those eyes, and knew she could look into them for eternity and let the warmth of his eyes fill her heart forever. Finally, the lift shut upon the Silver Noah and the glimmer of his eyes were no more. She sighed as the Silver Noah finally took off from Forles Port. On the Silver Noah, Elc stood with his arm held steadfast against the window pane. He peered below, finding nothing now but the appalling colors of darkness falling from the stormy clouds. He, too, sighed as he shifted his weight to lean against the wall next to him.

"Lieza…" Elc whispered to himself. He wondered how long it would take for him to return to her cheerful face and find himself falling for her all over again. Yet, he couldn't stop but notice how long it would take for the memories of Mariel to stop torturing him. Her memories didn't hurt him anymore but Lieza's physique seemed to get him more confused. She looked almost identical to Mariel and from the beginning, he treated her as if she was Mariel. The sudden flow of memories that poured back when he look into Lieza's eyes. Until he grip himself back to reality that Lieza was Lieza and not Mariel, he had no right to face her again.

Below within Forles airport, Lieza sat down quietly on a bench, sipping the warm tea that she bought from the counter. She held the cup against her knees with both hands wrapped around it. She peered quietly into the light burgundy tea, until she noticed that Paudit was silently whimpering beneath her leg. He raised his head and looked into Lieza's eyes, finding the same sadness that he was feeling. She reached down to stroke his chin.

"You miss them already, huh, Paudit?" Paudit slightly whimpered and licked her hand. "Yea…I miss them too…I miss him…already." She stopped stroking Paudit and rose from her seat, holding the cup with one hand. As she silently watched the weather grow colder she decided to spend the night at Ramul, before traveling all the way to Holn. She walked silently with Paudit, until a little boy accidentally slammed into her with more little children followed by the boy. The impact caused her to drop her cup, crashing onto the floor, sputtering all the tea on the tile floor. As the clamor of the children faded behind Lieza, Paudit slightly growled. Lieza, at that moment, stopped and peered at the cup that fell. A sharp throbbing hit her heart when the cup fell, the pain was no ordinary sting. For strange reasons, Lieza felt a heavy aura around her, an aura that spoke of unimaginable darkness. She looked back at the storm and held her heart. She felt deep inside her heart that she might never see Elc or any of her friends again.

Aboard the Silver Noah, Arc silently rested his head against his seat. He reflected on his last conversation with his allies before one by one they departed. He remembered their eager faces as they asked him of his plans for the future. At first, he was confused and a little timid to express his answer. Nevertheless, his future and goals were more than a blurry vision before him. He was more concerned for the guardians and Kukuru. He was compelled to believe that if he goes back to Seirya, she would be there. Yet, another side inside told himself that she might not return forever. He began to fear many things, and as he feared more and more, he felt as if darkness grew stronger.

"Arc, what are you going to do from now on?" Shania asked curiously. With her question, everyone peered to look at him, seeming to want to ask him the exact same thing. He stood looking at his companions with a calm stare. "I'm sure you had something in mind."

"Yes…there was something in mind. I'm planning to go back to Touvil and help the people of the village rebuilt my home. I wish to stay with my mother and the people of Touvil, waiting for…" He stopped a little short on his words. Still, he needn't speak further for they all knew who he was referring to. Poco, looking from side to side, seemed to be a little confused from the banal reply of his future goals.

"But…but, Arc…wasn't your father the Crown Prince of Palencia?" Everyone stared back into Arc's nonchalant face with shock and amazement. "That would make you now…the Crown Prince!" The entire ship was now silent. Elc faced Poco with a smile and looked back to Arc. Inside, he knew for certain that Arc would make a wonderful king. He believed in his character more than anyone. When it came to Arc's noble and wisdom, there seemed to be nearly no one that could compare. Gogen, however, raised his eyebrow at the sudden exclamation made by Poco. True, Arc was the Crown Prince, but something inside Gogen told him of an ominous ordeal that Arc might have to face before receiving that title. "Um…Arc? Won't you say something?" Poco looked into his friend's eye, as if pleading him to speak of good fortune.

"Poco…everyone…I don't know how my life seemed to have turned around like this. Yet, I'm not quite sure whether that is the path I should follow. I would rather feel more comfortable, fitting into the haven of my family and home. Just as my father did not accept the title, I believe I'm not destined to take it." Most of his friends seemed a little saddened by his reply, especially Elc.

"But Arc! Palencia…Palencia would need a king now. They need someone to lead them along the dreary path back to restoration." Elc was clearly frustrated by Arc's measure to escape the royal duties in his blood. Still, Arc was silent. He seemed confused but more over, a little wanting to escape duties and further duties. He didn't feel the need to gain power anymore. In fact, he only wished to escape the drudgery of political issues.

"Elc has a point there, Arc.." Arc looked at his wise friend, Gogen. "Although I might say, I don't agree completely. All the same, a king must rule his kingdom in times of disorder and chaos."

"Indeed! Arc! You would make a wonderful king!" Poco jumped up and down with excitement. Arc stared at the floor a little more than wishing to please his friends' wishes. Still, he didn't know if he had the heart to return to the dreadful seat where his uncle was killed and the whole chaotic issues sprung. Tosh, noticing his friend's disposition cleared his throat. Tosh's proud voice boomed across the mass of people.

"Not only that, isn't the Priest of the Sacred White Clan engaged to the Crown Prince of Palencia?" Arc blinked and looked up at Tosh, who stared at him in a playful nature. Slowly but steadily, Tosh walked next to Arc and put his hand on his shoulder. "With you being King of Palencia, Kukuru can easily find her way back to you, right? When she's looking for some comfort…some sort of need to return home, you would be there for her. It's the fastest way to hit home run, my friend."

"…Tosh…" Arc looked into his sincere friend, who simply grinned. "I…I guess…" He had forgotten the tradition of the Sacred White Clan and Palencia, and it seemed as though his destiny calls for him to not run away from his duties. Suddenly Shania stepped in front of Arc and Tosh.

"I understand Arc, the pressures of ruling a kingdom. But do not be discouraged by those simple factors, when in the end, you have the strength to make something much brighter and beautiful for this world. Arc, as Princess of Millmana, I humbly remind you that you have more than enough friends that had fought by your side and would be more than willing to fight again if ever a problem did come during your rule. Remember that you have friends that will stand with you till the end." Arc looked into the young princess's eyes, finding much wisdom and knowledge. His thoughts began to unravel and he felt a calm aura inside. The comfort of his friends was certainly one of the greatest gifts he had received from this journey.

With a sigh, he looked into his companions eyes again. "Thank you, everyone. I...I'm a little embarrassed that I have forgotten my responsibilities." Everyone gave a little spew of laughter as Chongara slapped Arc on the back, nearly causing him to fall.

"Haha! Arc, when you're King, don't forget to appoint me as your chief pilot! Neh?"

"Uh..wha-"

Suddenly Poco spoke with enthusiasm, "Oh-Oh! And don't forget to give me a position in the marching corps of your elite army! There's no one as good as me when it comes to the drums!"

"Um…" Suddenly Tosh, grabbed Arc firmly over his shoulder.

"Speaking of which, you know my stunning skills would be perfect for the leader position of the Elite Army of Palencia, don't you?"

"Guys…please-" Arc looked a little uncomfortable by their sudden requests. Suddenly they all froze from Gogen roar of anger and lightening that flickered from his staff.

"Fools! Asking for positions that compare nothing to what Arc could really give you all. Arc, if you haven't forgotten my excellent services to you, you'd do your best to make me your prime minister, wouldn't you?"

"Ach—Gogen, you too!" Arc's utter expression of confusion made everyone laugh. Gogen chuckled as he hit Arc's forehead with the tip of his staff.

"Of course not, my young friend. We are all merely freaking you out with our sudden lust for power! Ho ho ho!"

"Yea, Arc! Haha!" Poco laughed as he looked up at Arc. "You didn't think we could be so evil, huh?" The laughter continued as the trip to drop off Shania commenced. From then, Arc felt the confidence return to him. He followed the notion that his friends made, and he decided that he would not follow in his father's footsteps but now, lead the people of Palencia to peace. Perhaps, there he would find more meaning to the purpose of his life. The lightning still roared from outside of the walls of Silver Noah. The angry weather brought his thoughts back to the present as he peered into the window next to him. East Aldia should be a little less than an hour away, about now. He continually stared into the strange darkness that the cloud seemed to represent. A flash of his nightmares caused him to hold his head for a moment. Iga, standing next to the window noticed Arc's pain stricken face.

"Arc, are you all right?"

Arc shook his head lightly, shaking the images away from his mind. "Yes. I'm all right, Iga." The images, however, didn't escape from Arc's mind. A continual pain began to consume his mind and chest. He had a hard time breathing for a moment and grasped the arm of his seat firmly. Unfortunately, Arc began to find it hard to not fall faint from the pounding images and the darkness that seemed to continually trying to consume him. Although the weather did not beckon it, the air seemed thick with a dampness that suffocated him. The heat that pressured the aching muscles began to blur his vision. Arc slowly let his grip on the arm slip as the weight of his body seemed to become heavy. Before his body fell head front from his seat, Iga grabbed his shoulders.

"ARC! Arc! What's the matter!" Iga gently shook Arc, who seemed to almost reach his unconscious state. Arc breathed in heavily as he was leaned against his chair. By now, Poco, Gogen, and Shu seemed to have heard his sudden cry of shock.

"I…I don't know. What happened?" Arc's eye lids flickered a little before he could completely open his eyes. His body felt a little heavy but he couldn't recall anything before, except the images of the nightmare. Gogen fluttered by and looked at Arc.

"You almost fainted…perhaps this trip is making your body a little tense." Iga helped Arc up from his seat.

"Maybe you're right. I think I'll rest in my room for a moment. Be sure to get me when we reach East Aldia."

"Sure…go rest now." Iga gently let him walk on his own. He stood from a distance, watching his friend nearly limping across the hall to reach his room. Distressed from the sudden unhealthy appearance of his friend, he looked outside the window, noticing the clouds growing strangely darker than before. Gogen coughed uneasily as he inspected the sky with Iga. Arc walked silently into his room, slightly closing the door behind him. His breathe seemed to be much clearer and his body seemed to be at ease now. He sat on his bed, with his hand over his forehead. The uneasy tension seemed to almost drain him of his strength. The nightmares never haunted him like this before. These new images seemed to consume him the same way the darkness consumed the world. He shook his head lightly and stared on the floor in front of him. Beneath the shadows of figure, Arc found another shadow next to his shaped like Kukuru, leaning against him. He removed his hand from his forehead and blinked. Then the shadow was gone as he looked around him. His mind seemed to be either taking her disappearance a little seriously or he has felt her presence for a moment to make him hallucinate her image. He shook his head as he stood from his bed and peered outside the window again. The rain stained the window with every drop, as its downpour cruelly hit the earth.

"Kukuru…" Perhaps her sudden absences made everything just feel much more heavier.

The dark atmosphere took further toll on the shattered world. Though the heavy rains crackled against the broken windows and crumbled walls, shelter was still available for those lost and alone. A few residents took the task of carrying for those, who had lost their previous homes, and shared their warm hospitality. Regrettably, not everyone had the wholesome heart to be willing to share with those in need. Though the world was desolate and much had been lost, mankind still kept steadfast to their selfish ways and greedily collected what could only benefit them. With each spark of shadows, the bitter fight between good and evil began to rise again deep within the heart of darkness. As the clouds shimmered a faint burst of lightning, children cringed closely against their gentle mothers. No rest was given to the weary for cascade of thunder cries shot from the sky. The winds began to cry and light of the world dimmed to a degree where it seemed to not exist. Yet, there was more than one who did not give in to the dreary state of the planet. Within the Houfion's usual rowdy city, a crowd of injured civilians gathered together around the Communal Peon Pit. Even though the fire seemed to dim slowly, the people continually burned the flame, hoping that their hopes for the spread of the flame's warmth would lift the spirits of each and every soul present. Singing little hymns, children held each other under the large bundle of clothing over them. With their tremendous effort, the warmth began to slowly spread as the cheerful nature of the civilian seemed to return.

Amidst the blackened forest of Romalia, a woman of pale complexion and lilac hair stood under the security of the Kiyulic trees, avoiding the unnatural weather. Kukuru leaned her head slowly against the immense trunk behind her, closing her ruby eyes. She only wanted some time relax and time to know what to do with herself. Standing behind the thickets she recalled how the Silver Noah left. Still, before it completely took off, she saw Arc peer outside for several minutes. He stood not far from the ship, just slowly walking around, encircling the same path over and over. He must have been waiting or either hoping she would come back. She did feel a little guilty but the look of his eyes seemed to already know her bidding. Arc slowly walked back inside Silver Noah after half an hour of his patient wait. She felt relieved that he didn't plan on staying the entire day waiting for her, and most of all, she was more than happy that she had been given the chance to find herself again.

Suddenly a burst of darkness was all that she could see. A shrilling cry was heard and throughout the entire blackness, shadows immerged from the bleak mass. Within the blackness emerged a solid eye that she recognized immediately as the same eye that took her to captivity the day of its own sealing. The eye of the Dark One grew larger as the colors reflected the shade of her clothing and the spill of fresh blood from men bodies. She opened her eyes as quickly as her mind allowed her. She sighed a heartless sigh, and slowly slid down the barks of the trees, quietly sitting on the ruffles of her tattered clothing. The more haunted the nightmares seemed to come about, the more she felt the pain inside growing. Gripping her heart, Kukuru shook her head vigorously. No matter how the world may be shattered, she promised herself, and she promised Arc that she would not fall into despair. Yet, the nightmares made Kukuru nervous, as if the images were close at hand. She began to contemplate for a moment of the possibilities that the darkness could revive again. Somehow the chances were slim, nevertheless, Kukuru vowed that she grow stronger before another disaster could occur again.

Looking silently at the weapon firmly equipped on both of her fists, her eyes filled with a determination that surpassed the devastating powers of the current weather. "I…I must train again, if not for myself, I must do it for those who are still fighting against the darkness like I am." She rose to her feet and looked straight in front of her. She thrust a fist before her with speed and precision. "I am the Priest of the Sacred White Clan. I must soon return to my village to lead my people back into prosperity. Then…then I can be with Arc and the others again. Still…till then, I must train to become a stronger person…inside and out." She spun around and kicked the firm tree body, which slightly crackled from the sudden force that she put in her attacks. She slowly let the weight of her leg pull her feet back to the earth. Kukuru hit the body of the tree once more with her Kaiser Gauntlet, finding the stability of the tree falter. "All those days trapped in the Sabatico Shrine sure made me lose my edge. Today is just warm up, but…tomorrow will be the real training." She looked up into the cluster of leaves that held the rain from pouring down onto her. Kukuru seemed more relieved now that she resolved her next path. Voices were heard from afar as they began to stretch closer to where Kukuru stood. She looked towards the sound of the voices. Kukuru realized the voices echoed from the Heap, close to Houfion. Without second thoughts, she headed towards that direction.

As she ran faster, the voices were able to be deciphered into the cries of children. Noticing the urgency in their calls, she quickly reached the Heap. The pile of rubble that was dispatched onto the floor by the disaster was immeasurable. The voices were clearly cutting through the walls of waste from the interior. She leaned closer and tried to move away the small pieces of metal scrapes from the Sky Castle. The voices ceased as the children realized someone from the outside slowing began to peal in. Soon, their cries became louder as the shift in their urgency for help was evidently their fear for what was out there. Kukuru's gentle voice, however, calmed their state of alarm.

"Can you all hear me?" Kukuru flung her wet bangs away from her face as she tried to pull the large scrap of wooden planks that seemed to disintegrate with the rain. The children seemed to almost move inside, as to try their hardest to cut out from their prison. "Calm down…I'll help you. Are you all right?"

"Yes, most of us aren't injured…" A voice of a girl was heard within. Some coughs were made afterwards as the winds did shower them all with the winter frost.

"How many of you are there?" As Kukuru spoke, the air turned her breath visibly into puffs of little smoke as the warmth of her speech contrasted with the ice in the air.

"There are five of us…we didn't know Romalia would bring up a Sky Castle. To get a closer look, we came here but only found the place falling apart and soon we got covered with the remnants of it." The voice was louder and it appeared to be from an older lad. A few groans and cries of pain were heard inside as the hushes of few children tried to ease the pain.

"Who is injured?" Kukuru piled away as much scraps as possible but the routine seemed endless. The amount of debris on them would not dismember no matter how much she could throw off. She was now completely wet and the debris had only made the atmosphere worse to work in. The cries of the children, however, caused her to be headstrong with the task of freeing them.

"Only Ovelle's injured…I think she broke something though." More cries were heard within but the mountain of garbage did not budge. Kukuru snarled at this dilemma and somehow wished that everyone in the Silver Noah stayed behind. 'We would need about ten people to actually break them free…I can't do this alone,' Kukuru thought to herself. Suddenly quick footsteps were heard from behind as the puddles of water were disturbed from their stationary state.

"Children! Children!" A stout elderly woman came rushing with a mass group of civilians, apparently from Houfion. The children voices were elevated and more cheerful as they called out to their mother. Kukuru stood back as the woman demanded the men to quickly help her children. The people, almost numbering more than twenty, surrounded the disastrous ruins and quickly dismantled it from the children. The stout woman was crying, afraid for the conditions of her beloved children. Kukuru, feeling compassion, stood next to her.

"It'll be all right. Most of them aren't injured…they told me only Ovelle seemed to have broken something." The woman turned to look at the beautiful priestess and nodded, trying her hardest to keep her tears and cries. After several hours, the children were finally free. The people of Houfion rejoiced, even in the state of being completely wet and surrounded by the dreary atmosphere. The children rushed to the side of their mother, as she rushed towards them and next to the girl who seemed to be unable to move. Kukuru assumed that the girl was Ovelle, as she walked along the people. A man carried her and began to walk away with the rest of the town. The peaceful nature of the crowd was warm and Kukuru bloomed with new hope by watching the world turn to good will. Upon reaching Houfion, the crowd soon crowded inside the huge interior of the Houfion Bar. The place was scattered with empty bottles of whiskey and broken benches but the shelter from the rain was all they needed to feel cozy. Ovelle was placed on the counter. Her mother examined the wound with several other people, perhaps, doctors or medics. She was a girl around Kukuru's age, or a bit younger. Her hair was ruffled like a flowing black river and her face was extremely pale, distinguishing the colorless lips. The men shook their heads looking at the wound, and her mother looked extremely worried. Suddenly Kukuru felt someone watching her. She stirred and looked about her.

"Hey…you look familiar…" A man voice behind her must have been the source of her conscious awareness. She looked at him with misunderstanding, not recognizing the face. "Right, aren't you the woman that traveled with Arc and them?" She froze for a bit, as the entire room seemed to fall silent except the blistering rain outside. The civilians turned to look at her and try to be familiar with what the man was explaining. "Right! It is you! You had healing powers, didn't you? You can heal Ovelle's broken leg!" The man did not mean to threaten and Kukuru acknowledged his will to only help and find help. Unfortunately, Kukuru was not the one that could provide the hand that could heal. If she had, she would have healed the children long ago even before freeing them from the pile of wreckage. She stepped back a little, uncertain of what to say or do. Even attempting to heal the would of the child would be meaningless, the source of her powers completely vanished the day the Dark One was resealed. The people looked extremely confused as Kukuru, looked furiously ashamed at herself for not being able to do anything.

"All right people, knock it off!" All the people looked at the booming voice of the elderly woman, the mother of the children. She was holding Ovelle's leg, looking more than agitated by the silence being prolonged. "It's obvious that she's not the one. So there is no need to continue scaring the poor child. Goodness, if she was the healing priestess, wouldn't she have healed my child long time ago?" A spread of murmurs sealed the room as the people realized that their hopes were kept a little too high. The tall man looked disappointed and a little down by the realization. He looked at Kukuru with guilty eyes, that only stabbed her heart with more guilt than she can bear.

"I'm sorry…I was just a little scared for Ovelle…" He shook his head, now sullen with false findings. Kukuru walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder. He raised his head at her gentle gesture.

"No…I'm sorry…I'm the one that couldn't do anything." With this Kukuru walked away and stepped towards Ovelle. He looked a little confused as she stepped away. He didn't understand the meaning of her words. The doctors were able to patch her leg up to the best they could. Hopefully it would heal within time. Kukuru looked at Ovelle with sad eyes and reached out to hold the girl's hand. Yet, even after holding the child's lifeless palm, Kukuru couldn't release any life to clear the pain from the girl's body. She remained steadfast to her will to try and help Ovelle, but the divine powers bestowed by the guardians were gone. Thus, the strength to help others also lifted. Kukuru felt a light tap on her shoulder, as she turned, she looked upon the mother of these children. The woman smiled with her other four children by her side. She motioned for Kukuru to follow her. As Kukuru did, her steps were slippery as her wet clothing almost dragged along the floor. Most of the civilians were damp from their last encounter with the outside storm. The winds that broke through the cracks of walls sent shivers from places to places. Most of the people began to build little bonfires to keep themselves warm for the night. The woman led Kukuru into another room within the bar. It was a smaller room and much more warmer due to the bodies that were closely scooted together. The children sat down close the fire burning in the center. Kukuru sat down with them as they looked up at her, smiling from the peaceful mood she brought.

"I will bring warm clothes for you…Kukuru-sama." The woman looked at Kukuru softly but Kukuru stared back in shock. She had known all along that Kukuru was the one with healing powers and the priestess that traveled with Arc. The woman merely smirked, even when Kukuru only looked confused and uneasy. "It's all right. Taking that you're not with your friends right now, I understand something must be the matter. Please make yourself comfortable and do get yourself warm. It wouldn't be kind of us to treat the Priestess of the Sacred White Clan with such disrespect in this awful weather."

Before she turned to leave, Kukuru rose from her seat. "Wait. I don't understand, how…how did you know?" The woman looked back and replied in a casual way.

"I've lived in Touvil almost all my life, Kukuru-sama. It's only been several months since I've moved to Romalia to meet my husband…Hehe, and to find the town to be the battlefield of good versus evil." Kukuru couldn't wipe the concerned look on her face. The woman's knowledge of who she was brought suspicion but the words that she spoke brought more comfort. "Kukuru-sama, let us speak tomorrow morning and then we can discuss about the matters at hand. I must be tending my child now."

The woman turned and left the room quietly. Kukuru still a little stunned sat down by the fire, rubbing her hands. She wished deep inside her soul that she had the power to help the woman and her child. The damp strands of her hair were limply loose from the tie on her head. She undid her ponytail, letting her long pale purple hair fall abruptly from the water that it soaked. As she was about to close her eyes to rest, she noticed that the children were staring at her intently. She smiled at them as they returned the smile.

"Kukuru-sama, why are you here by yourself?" The little girl asked with innocent eyes. Kukuru returned the gaze with a softer look. It seemed as though this family knew of her long ago. She was concerned somewhat of what would happen if the people in the town would know who she really was. Nonetheless, there was no harm in answering a child.

"I'm alone because I didn't want to burden my friends." Kukuru slightly smoothed the girl's messy hair as the older boy, a little younger than Elc's age, crawled next to her. She looked into his eyes. "How did you all know who I was?" Kukuru continued to ask.

"We heard your voice! Anyone could recognize your voice!" The boy smiled until he was hit by his older brother.

"Liar! You looked through wreckage and saw her face before all of us!" The young boy looked angrily at his brother and tried to hit him back. Kukuru grinned at their playful nature, which somewhat reminded her of Tosh and her usual behavior, but felt a small tug at her shawl. She turned to find the youngest child, a little girl, tugging at her clothing. Kukuru received her openly and let her lean over her knees. The night was long and the weather seemed to have made the children sleepy. Soon the people inside the room were all asleep. Even the belligerent brothers stopped their quarrel and lied down to rest their weary temperament. All was quiet and resting except Kukuru, who couldn't find the will to actually fall asleep. She only stared into the fire, hoping that she can manage to keep it still burning while she was awake. She did feel tired but constant dreams of darkness filled her spirit and made her fearful to fall asleep. Her thoughts began to travel back many spaces as she thought about the times she fought by Arc and everyone. The images began to fade as she realized already that there was no strength in her left to continue to ponder of the past. She slowly closed her eyes and hoped that her dreams would not become nightmares of the dark world.

"Arc…" She fell quietly asleep by the children, awaiting for the day to clear the sky from the rain.

The prince of Palencia awoke from his brief nap. Looking outside the window, he realized the storm carried on its evil course. Slightly rising from his bed, a quiet knock came from the door.

"Arc? Are you awake?" Iga's calm voice echoed through the door, as Arc slowly walked towards the door.

"Yes, Iga. I'm awake. I'll be out in a minute." With this Arc, heard the slow footsteps of his friend fading from his audible range. Shortly after, Arc followed them back into the cockpit. Chongara was firmly driving the Silver Noah safely to East Aldia. Tosh was hanging around the corner as Poco sat a few steps in front of him, playing his lovable instrument. As Iga walked through the door, Gogen raised his eyebrows and looked at him.

"Well, how is the lad?" Gogen fluttered over to Iga, who took a seat close to the window.

"I think he's all right. He seemed to have fallen asleep earlier."

"Hmm. I see." Gogen stopped his suspended flight and got on his olden legs to walk once more. "Iga, the weather is bothering me tremendously." Iga looked outside the window with Gogen. "It seems as though it speaks of dark occurrences. It may look like a regular storm but I can feel it in these ancients bones, these winds speak of unnatural causes. Indeed…very unnatural. I'm getting worried…"

"That's never good." Iga and Gogen stirred, finding Arc quietly approaching them. "I suspected you might say something like this, Gogen."

"Ho ho, well, you were always the first to catch on. Then I suppose you felt it as well." Gogen spoke as he continually stared into the storm. Arc nodded and looked on with him, but turned away abruptly. Gogen recognized his familiar painful expression and the way he gripped his chest. Gogen took hold of his staff and lightly hit Arc's forehead, grabbing his attention. "Arc, listen closely. There is something stirring in nature and it seemed to be aimed at someone in particular." Arc stared intently, quietly listening, as Iga looked absorbed by what Gogen explained. "We may not be certain who it is…but you, especially, might want to be careful." Their silence was broken as Chongara hollered from his skipper position.

"Haha! Finally, East Aldia!" Shu and Elc stood up as they watched Chongara prepare to make a landing at the Aldia Airport. The winds seemed stronger in this area as they heard the pouring rain forced sharply onto the Silver Noah. Tosh and Poco looked a little concerned as the ship rocked not in its usual way. Yet through the perilous world outside, Chongara finally did get the Silver Noah landed. As the lift fell from its place, Shante watched the waters rising slightly from the floor. Grabbing their belongings, Shante, Shu, and Elc started their exit. A few steps from the concrete, however, Shante's foot was grabbed by the hands of a Chimera. She at once fell as the Chimera threw her off the lift. Shu and Elc immediately jumped off the lift as it caught Arc's direct attention.

"Shante!" Shu yelled from the other side, trying to reach to her. Sadly, another chimera approached Shu from the side and knocked him onto the floor. Shante, grabbing her shoulder, slowly rose from fallen position. Two chimeras had surrounded her, before she could reunite with her companions. Elc, in his fighting stance with his spear propped before him. He lashed at the monster before him and easily dismantled it. Shu was able to knock over the Chimera that was growling over him. From behind, he loaded his machine gun and shot the two chimeras surrounding Shante. Shu sneered at the way they seemed unaffected by his attack, but before they could attack Shante, she used one of her strongest spells.

"Diamond Dust!" She spread her hands before her, as the crystal icicles fell from the sky. The weather seemed to double their effects as more was formed from the floor. As the monsters fell before her, she abruptly turned around finding more unwanted visitors approaching her. She prepared the work of her firm dagger boots as one nearly lunged at her. Dodging to the side, she hurled a devastating kick against its chest and kneeled to kick below the monsters legs, causing it to fall. Two more howled as it jumped to throw a powerful explosion spell. Fortunately, Tosh came flying through with his thin blade and able to block another monster's attack from behind, countering with an uppercut.

"How many are there?" Elc yelled from his position, which seemed pretty segregated from his companions. Three monsters tackled him all together, as he hit the floor hard dropping his spear. The spear slid far enough for Elc to not be able to reach it. One jaw was opened wide enough for Elc's defensive less arm to be wolfed down, until Elc thrust his hand against its shoulder casting a Fire Storm from his position. The fiery winds caused the monster to step back a few steps behind, giving Elc only enough time to quickly get up in a more defensive pose. The monster just gurgled as it seemed completely unaffected by his Fire spell. Before the monster could approach Elc again, Arc slashed through the monster from behind and stepped next to Elc.

"There's enough to keep us busy for awhile." Gogen flew across quickly reaching the side where most of the monsters were clumped in one place. Raising his staff, he quickly drew his breath and spoke fiercely. "Explosion!"

"Wait! Fire attacks don't work on them!" Elc shouted above shortly after Gogen commenced his attack and as truthfully testified, the monsters weren't affected by Gogen's tremendous fire power. Gogen raised an annoyed glance at the boy, who ran to grab his spear.

"Now, you tell me." Gogen cleared his throat as he quickly dodged the futile attempts of the monsters to grab him from his elevated state. "Then let's see if this won't hurt! Thunder Storm!" With his staff, Gogen hit the floor as the clear cut of light spurted from the sky and raged over the furious beasts. A huge shrill from the heavens sent electrical tremors through the monsters. The beasts roared as they fell one by one by the incredible fury of the storm.

The beasts were obviously based with elemental fire. One by one, they breathed fire from their maw and cast spells with fire effects. Elc had the easiest time avoiding the fire, even being shot by a few spells, but unaffected by their effects since he was almost resistant to the flames. Arc, on the other hand, didn't have much luck with their spells after his tremendous lost of power. He had trouble avoiding the hurl of flames and seemed to be hurt by them the most. He gripped his wounded arm as he picked up his usual pace in his attacks. He didn't notice, however, the raging fire storm that was about to be cast on him. Arc looked behind with a swift glance, noticing it was almost impossible to avoid the imminent spell. As the bright orange red flames that spoke of inconceivable pain and burns flared towards him, Elc immediately got in front of Arc.

"Fire Shield!" A fire resistant sphere shield enveloped Elc and Arc. Elc, concentrating with all his might, began to feel the pressures of the flame increasing against the shield. As he didn't give up with his resistance, the fire shield couldn't contain all the forced energy against it and shattered into million shards before Elc. The full strength of the flames hit on Elc and not even he was able to resist the immense blaze. He let out a scream of pain as he and Arc flew back from the sudden impact. Tosh and Shante turned when they heard the huge explosion and Elc's cry. Shu, began to quickly finish off the monster before him to rush to Elc's side. Iga and Gogen combined their attack with Gogen's Diamond Dust and Iga's Senpu-Gekishu to quickly scatter their enemies. Arc cringed from the fall as he slowly rose. He stopped and looked towards Elc, who seemed to be nearly unconscious from the blow.

"Elc! Elc!" Arc ran towards Elc, who was barely able to get up. Elc shook his head lightly, and feeling the trickle of warm blood down his chin. A large shadow loomed over him as his shaking arm reached out for his spear. Yet the monsters large claw snatched Elc's futile aim to defend himself, and broke it in two. Elc snarled at the demon, who raised his powerful weapon above to get rid of Elc for good. Fortunately, the monster was intercepted by Arc's sword, which completely detached the arm from the monster. The monster's roar was short-lived however, as Shu's ninja agility allowed him to quickly reach the monster and curse the mutilated chimera under his breath.

"Wind Slash!" He looked towards the sky as a blast of tornado winds swept across the floor and surrounded the being. It swept the monster and tore his armor and body with clean gashes from the airstream's fury. With the final fall, the monster breathed his last breath. The final beasts were scattered on the floor dead. The pouring rain had the spilled blood surround the area in an eerie manner, like a river of death flooding the once clear concrete. The sky seemed to thunder with delight and sparkles of lightning did not yield. Meanwhile, Gogen and Iga rushed to Arc's side as did Shante and Tosh. Shu kneeled to examine Elc's condition but reclined as Elc, with Arc's help, was able to stand only to find his attempt in vain. As the blood on his lips added to the stony flood, Elc fell on Arc. Arc put Elc's arm around his shoulder and slowly carried his wounded friend back to the Silver Noah. Gogen looked towards Shu and Shante, who were more than worried about Elc's condition.

"I believe it would be best if we headed back to the safety of our ship. Let us return when it is safer for us to accept the oddity of this weather." Gogen grumbled as he threw his wet ponytail behind him and fluttered towards the ship. Returning to the Silver Noah, Arc helped Elc into the seat. Poco rushed with blankets for his friends. Chongara, as well, turned up the heater in the Silver Noah. The warmth was a welcoming call for them, for the battle outside had them all drenched and made them short of breath from the cold air. Shante's dressy attire was completely soaked and stuck on her body like a tight suit. Shu, just the same, didn't like the sodden condition of his blood red scarf, as he unwrapped himself from the shawl and hung it over the seat. Tosh and Iga accepted the blankets happily until they started the irritating task of drying themselves. Shante reached across to Elc and cured him. Unfortunately, her concentration was running short as she felt her energy could not extend to his deepest wounds. She stopped as she panted slightly.

"I'm sorry…I can't heal him completely…at least not now…" Shu put his hand on her shoulders as Arc merely nodded, understanding the last battle took up most of their abilities. Poco leaned closer to his companions and began to play the soothing melody of his harp. The healing notes did help to elevate his companions and lift their wounds slowly.

"Damn, the weather isn't clearing…this might last all night." Tosh growled, looking outside. Iga lifted Elc from his seat as Arc instructed and slowly walked him to his room. Tosh looked back at Arc, noticing the signs of guilt in his eyes. "He'll be all right, won't he?"

Arc nodded slowly. "His injuries will heal over some time though," he turned and looked at Poco. "Thanks, Poco for guarding Silver Noah again." Poco stopped playing and followed Iga towards Elc's room.

"I'll stay by his side and tend to his wounds." Poco rushed right away as his companions saw him turn around the corner. Arc sighed and Chongara stared into those weary eyes. He coughed uncomfortably and helped Gogen dry himself off by offering new blankets. Tosh, Shu, and Shante returned to their rooms slowly to get into something dry and more comfortable. Arc, sulking in his seat, looked extremely disturbed by their previous encounter with the chimera project. Their sudden appearance was not only a surprise but a shocking occurrence. Not only that, the weather almost directly correlated to how events are turning around for him. Arc clutched his hand into a fist and bit his under lip. His frustration and confusion of these events were rising. As he slowly rose from his seat, he glanced at the window, watching as the winds furiously blew splattered the darkened rain onto the clear glass structure. A few streaks of blood were marked outside of the window, slowly fading as the water spilled from above. The sky thundered loudly, causing Poco to shrink a little as Iga laid Elc's wounded body on the bed. Iga looked sadly at Elc and turned towards Poco. Poco looked back at Iga with a tight expression. They both seemed to feel the dreary atmosphere taking its effect on the morale of the team.

"Poco…will you play your harp once more?" Iga sat down against the edge of the room and comfortably positioned himself to listen to the peaceful melody. Poco happily complied and took out his majestic golden harp. With great precision, his fingers pulled each metallic string one by one, producing the harmonica of peace. Although inside the Silver Noah the relaxing tone of each passenger returned, the inner dilemma of Arc was still boiling. The winds howled carrying cries of darkness as shadows rained down on his spirit. The maelstrom of these complexities puzzled him more and more. It seemed a new evil was brewing elsewhere but unnoticed for the time being. He continually stared into the storm, wondering of what was to come tomorrow.


	3. Omen, A Path Unknown

Disclaimer:

"**Arc the Lad**" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.

Omen, A Path Unknown

Shania sat on a wobbly seat of a crumbling table inside the feeble Ajarl Bar with her submissive and loyal friend, Roan, besides her. As she was looking over the process of restoration of the Toyoke Forest and seeking ways to bring stability within Millmana, her eyes grew tired as she realized the task seemed beyond her. With piles of papers before her, she quickly divided the first pile into two piles. She placed one large pile in front of her. She fumbled quickly over the process of rebuilding sewer systems, which ran through the Headquarters- now in ruins with all its nightmares dormant. Shania took a look at Diekbeck, which came along with her before she left the Silver Noah. It roamed around the tiny bar, making clanking noises. As it started picking up broken pieces of the walls and the roof, and assembling them in one corner, Diekbeck seemed to make a mental note of what to do with those pieces in the future. She looked back unto the piles of paper before her. She knew Diekbeck belonged in Yagos Island and not with her, trying to fix problems that had no tangible solutions. Diekbeck is probably just as needed in Yagos Island with Vilmer. She couldn't imagine the damage that could have happened in such a cozy village as Yudo Village; nevertheless, till she settled things here, she wouldn't be able to obtain an air ship that could transport him there. She had responsibility over Diekbeck till then. Roan with his thick shiny glasses, which seemed to hide the appearance of his timid eyes, opened his mouth as if to scream. Though no sounds came from it, the frustration in his face was apparent. He was just about ready to pound his head on the table as he examined the great damage made throughout every forest, even Ajarl.

"Anymore examination and finding just oil after oil and train wreckage after train wreckage, and…I'm GOING TO… SCREAM!" In desperation, Roan threw his trusty vacuum. Luckily Diekbeck ran to save it from its eminent doom. Roan slumped back into this chair, letting his glasses fall to the side, giving him a bizarrely angst appearance. He tilted his head as he felt tired by the invading thoughts of hopelessness. Shania looked into his expressionless face and a pang of fear crept down her spine. A feeling of endless troubles ahead seemed to appear like a mountain that could not be crossed. Shania sighed as she was starting to give in to his frustration as well. "… I…I know how you are feeling Roan, but till we get the little problems fixed, we will never be able to get back to the way things were before."

Roan immediately noticed the insolence of his negative thoughts as he already felt the change in Shania's tone of voice. He began to straighten himself slowly, almost as though he was dreading what was to come next. "Forgive me, your highness."

Shania put her head down, softly closing her pretty eyes. Roan looked at her, "There just doesn't seem to be any meaning in all of this. I find that there is no hope sometimes…but not just a lack of hope, a lack of people who are willing to help!" Roan abruptly got up and stood near the window next to their table, "Look outside the window, your majesty. There is so much suffering that it's hard to bear... for anyone… It's even hard to walk outside this crumbling bar and find that people have to start all over aga-"

Suddenly, Shania slammed the papers back on the table. Diekbeck took a step back as it made mechanical noises to alert those around him of his emotional confusion, "So, are you meaning to say that we should give up?" Shania fiercely shouted. Roan became alarmed and also defeated by her convicting words. He turned toward the window and simply looked down. Her voice became softer, almost to the point of whisper, as she spoke. "…it must be hard Roan, I know…isn't it hard for anyone right now…that's why…we have to keep pressing on… because the moment we step back, just like many years ago…with my father and mother…"

Roan became silent, aware of Shania's bitter feelings and sadness towards the events of the past. Shania blinked as she looked at the pile of rubble that Diekbeck gathered and place in the corner of the bar. Roan looked yonder the window, watching the winds clear from the streets. Civilians walked back and forth- gathering anything they can from the brokenness of the place. Children tugged the seams of their mother's clothing and wailed in frustration from the lack of shelter, from the bitter coldness, and from the never ceasing rain of death. Men were arguing over property matters and the money that seemingly disappeared with all aspect of love and care in the world.

'We are at a loss…such a great loss, that who would ever care to look at us with pity and show us any concern…Aren't we all in the same shoes as any other about us…' Shania's eyes nearly watered but Shania shook her head. She quickly regained herself, 'No, Shania… Get yourself focused! We must continue through this dreadful time… if not for ourselves… then for our future…" Looking back at Roan with her eyes filled with determination, she raised her voice.

"Roan! C'mon! Get yourself straightened up! I will not have someone that weak working with me! You must be strong with me. …Roan…please…I need you here….by my side…" Roan looked up slightly with distress in his eyes, but placed his head back down, solemnly understanding what she meant.

"If we do not hold onto this situation with assurance, someone with more authority may use our weaknesses again! If we let this responsibility go, the same mistake as in the past can happen… and I won't allow it…No. Not now, not ever…" Diekbeck crept towards Shania as she spoke with more clarity and boldness. Diekbeck, though it did not have within him any program or way of expressing emotions, it was still a machine that responded according to the emotions that Shania was feeling- defeat, rapid emotions and thoughts of despair being countered with confidence, responsibility, and hope. Diekbeck lightly tapped her side as it spoke up. "Shania, I concur." Shania looked towards Diekbeck and smiled. When it isn't broken, Shania actually thought Diekbeck was quite an adorable character.

Hearing Shania's words of encouragement boosted Roan to find light in their actions once again. Roan, regaining his passion and zeal, stood up as well and fervently nodded his head. "If we fall today, then we just have to get back up. If we fall and can't seem to get up, we wait for someone to come and help us up!" Roan threw his head back as he triumphantly laughed. Shania felt her weakness slowly dissipate from her faint heart and mind. She felt encouraged by Roan and Diekbeck's presence. Though she can sometimes be cold and act as though she wanted to be independent, she knew deep inside, her need of support. Shania took a moment to examine herself, as the warmth of renewed hope filled the room. She did not want to deny the fact that she was in need any longer, covering up her truthful disposition with her selfish pride. She wanted to let it be apparent when she was vulnerable, let it be obvious if she was tired, and let it be known that she wanted help as well. 'I guess, all that traveling with them did change me after all…' She smiled at the thoughts of her companions during the last battle with the Dark One.

Suddenly, their warm moments seem to fade as they heard a strange applaud coming from the entrance of the bar. Shania took guard as she saw three men in hooded red cloaks standing behind them. Diekbeck made a strange whistling sound, as he walked forward in a protective manner, causing the metal of his armor clatter together.

"Courageous words from the Princess of Millmana…I must say." The figure in the middle of the other two crimson cloaked men said in a deep voice, as he stepped forward. Shania stood her ground. Though there was no specific explanation, she realized the room's atmosphere has changed the moment she heard the words of this stranger being spoken. Clearly, the room grew darker as a large shadow of heaviness fell upon the entire bar. Diekbeck computed the change of this environment with his eyes, examining the room, and finding more men in hooded red cloaks standing outside the window, looking in. With the crack of the lightening, Roan sheepishly yelped like a child, dropping some of the documents, as he saw the unnatural white glint of the eyes of the men outside. The stranger was now just about a few feet away from Shania. Shania was slowly reaching for the back of her skirt, where she hid her cards, as she slowly turned around to face the stranger. The sternness of her face never eased, for she was not going to show any fear of this potential threat. Diekbeck noticed her reaction right away, and started to prepare itself as well for a fight to pursue.

The figure in blood red cape raised his head slightly. He stopped and chuckled. "But I must add… in this dark age of despair, do you intend on working alone?" Shania's tensed face slowly changed to a confused expression. She blinked at his question, as the man reached to undo his hood, dripping from the rain it blocked. Shania looked on with curiosity as she found thin silver bangs and the tint of golden glimmer of his eyes reflected from the candle light. He looked up at her as his eyes, filled with a strange self-assurance and boldness that came beyond this world, never left her eyes.

"Let me introduce myself, Princess Shania. My name is Clive…" He grinned as he slightly bowed his face and then slightly looked up at her to say, "…the Crown Prince of Palencia."

Shania froze. Her eyes grew wide with shock as her mouth opened, though she did not gasp or say something about what she just heard. Roan, knowing the situation already, dropped his papers again without any thought to pick them up this time. Diekbeck stiffened as well, though inside he felt as if he needed to clamor around at this most disturbing news. She put her head down, in disbelief as she stepped back a little. 'What in the world…is going on here…? The Crown Prince of Palencia…? What about Arc? Did he not yet go to Palencia? Who…?' Clive, expecting this reaction from all of them, simply let his eyes wonder around the room, until he spotted Diekbeck. Diekbeck traveled over to Roan to assist him in piling up the paper that was almost uncontrollably scattered across the floor. His grin became sly as he looked closely at Diekbeck with a most twisted expression upon his face.

Back in the Silver Noah, the atmosphere was still as dim as the last unexpected battle. Lying unconscious, Elc twisted his face as he slightly groaned. Though the room was spinning as his focus became adjusted, he was finally able to see his own room clearly. The same smell of his bed, the rustle of the Silver Noah, and his damaged weapon posted next to his bed were all welcoming gestures as Elc finally awoke from the previous night's attack. Elc slightly tensed his body so that he could get up. Yet a shocking pain passed straight from his right leg straight to his shoulders. He cringed and gritted his teeth, as he fell back onto his bed with a painful expression. As he was coping with the pain the best he could, Tosh's laughter caught his attention. Elc looked up slightly confused, as he saw Tosh, who was apparently there from the beginning, sitting comfortable against the cold metal wall of Elc's room. It seems that while Iga and Poco were getting their share of rest, Tosh offered to watch over Elc. Tosh shook his head with an amused expression, slowly getting up and approaching Elc's weak condition.

"So how is our little fire master?" Tosh examined him up and down as if to check whether there are more broken parts to fix. Elc simply grabbed his right shoulder, which still vibrated with pain and almost swollen. Elc gave a quick bitter look towards Tosh's casual attitude. Tosh leaned over, being careful not to hurt Elc more than he already was, and slightly helped Elc get up to a sitting position on his bed. As Elc was slowly adjusting his position, he shook his head, feeling still a bit dazed from the impact last night. Tosh gave a rough manly pat on Elc's back, which didn't ease any of his pain.

"You took quite a hit yesterday, Elc. Gave us all quite a fright…nearly causing Arc a heart attack… (sigh) and maybe Gogen, his peaceful rest…"

"Humph... Hope that didn't imply anything, Tosh—," Gogen spoke up as he fluttered in slightly over his cane. "Nah, of course not, Gogen, why would it?" Tosh grinned as Gogen simply raised an eyebrow at him. Then Gogen peered at Elc, who still needed time to recuperate from the pain that he was dealing with. Nevertheless, Elc didn't bother worrying about his own weak position. He looked up at Gogen and Tosh and earnestly asked, "Is everyone else all right? What about Arc…how is he?"

Tosh and Gogen looked at each other for a moment, giving each other uncertain looks. The clear change in their expression made Elc even more concerned, as he looked intently at them, as he beckoned an answer. Gogen cleared his throat as he spoke up first. "Well, you can say, physically, he seems perfectly well, my young friend. But his inner state…one could not well decipher the emotions he may be feeling this very moment…" Elc's eyes widened with understanding as he slightly let his head back down. His head without the bandanna caused his brownish black hair to fall in all sorts of directions. He gave a deep sigh, wondering about Arc and the others. Elc was certain that Arc would feel awfully guilty and perhaps a little broken. Recalling the battle from last night, everyone could very well testify that Arc's powers has decreased incredibly, to the point where fighting with him wasn't the same anymore. A strange silence occupied the space they were filling. Gogen abruptly broke the unpleasant mood, as he coughed uncomfortably. Tosh with a melancholic expression crossed his arms and looked over as Gogen smiled, "Well then, since you are now wide awake, my friend, I believe I shall find Shante and ask her to aid you in the process of recovery… ho ho ho…"

He silently turned and fluttered away from the room. Elc and Tosh were still silent, until Gogen was on the other side of the room. Once Gogen was completely out of the room, he let his long and ancient eyebrows cover his entire eyes. A painful expression revealed his distress, for he knew that Elc already felt a change within himself and perhaps even more. Gogen, fluttering across the hall, took a look into his hands, marked with wrinkles but also experiences that only time and mistakes could ever disclose. Gogen sighed as he kept moving forward. "Perhaps…all the days of the past have finally paid off...perhaps my final days are sooner than expected…"

Gogen shook his head with insecurity as he was going towards the cockpit, where Shante and Shu were resting. On the other hand, back in Elc's room, Tosh looked over at Elc, who kept opening his hand, revealing his palm, and then closing it into a fist. Elc seemed to be examining something, but Tosh couldn't tell what he was actually doing. "What's the matter, Elc?"

"Tosh…did you feel anything strange last night…?" Elc's expression of scrutiny didn't change as he looked into his hands again. Tosh shrugged, "Hmm… you may need to get a little more specific than that, kid."

"Last night's attack… it's impossible that such an attack would hit me that way…it's just impossible…" Elc gripped his hand, as Tosh gave a glum look, wondering why Elc was in a strange state of denial. He sighed as slightly sat on the edge of the bed. "Yea… yea… hard to believe, I'm sure…but it happens sometimes, we all don't know our own strengths…and weaknesses…"

"I'm…not joking, Tosh…" Elc's voice had a strange sense of fear and pain. Tosh turned and looked at his young friend, who returned him a look of pure solemnity. This time, Tosh knew there was an important point that he was missing. Tosh slightly nodding, prodding Elc to continue what he was trying to say. Elc looked unsure as he spoke, "I know my powers more than anyone…and going through so many different battles, even after the battle with the Dark One… Tosh, I know… that monster's attack couldn't have defeated my fire shield… it just doesn't make any sense to me…it just couldn't have happened…"

"…what are you trying to say…Elc…?"

At that moment, Shu spoke up from the corner of the room, "He's saying… our powers are weakening…" Tosh and Elc both looked up, their faces marked with surprise and alarm. "Isn't that what you mean, Elc?"

Elc closed his eyes, "Yea… that's what I was starting to think. Then, this means, you too, Shu…?" Shu came in to the center of the room. He didn't have his crimson scarf on with him, letting his stern chin show. "I started to notice last night…and after I watched Shante try to heal you. It was obvious that her behavior was different as well as my own. We've been through much worse than the previous battle…Yet after I used my spells, I felt myself grow unbelievably weak…at first, I thought this was due to our fight with the Dark One, but if you ask me, we had plenty of time to recover…it was just unlikely…just unnatural to see this happening to you…and us…"

Elc nodded as he realized the puzzles of the pieces were starting to fall into their place. There was a distinct change in their strength. He certainly wasn't sure whether this should cross Arc's mind or attention. He wasn't even sure, what is the cause of this strange problem. Shu, noticing Elc's disposition and Tosh's confusion, spoke up. "We do not know for certain, though I'm sure, personally we can all sense something…for now, let us keep this quiet…"

Shu looked out towards the window of Elc's room, as he saw the strangely dark clouds glow like fire as the dawn began to fight against the darkness. And on the other side of East Aldia was Romalia, where Kukuru was fast asleep. As she was huddled with the children, wrapped in their torn blankets, she stirred feeling the dampness within the air. Her ruby eyes, still sleepy and exhausted, examined her surroundings, and she couldn't help but give a slight smile, watching the kids sleep in such peace.

"Strange…I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep that well…" Kukuru's long loose hair revealed slight curls from being damp last night. She sighed as she slowly got up. With her two hands, she reached for her hair and gathered them together to tie it up in the original pony tail. When she heard the voice of the children's mother, she lifted her face towards the door. Kukuru got up and opened the door slightly. Seeing Ovelle sitting quietly by herself, Kukuru walked to greet her. Ovelle had her wounded leg treated with bandages. The wound would take quite a while to heal completely. Upon seeing Kukuru, Ovelle's face beamed with excitement and joy.

"Kukuru-sama!" Kukuru was surprised by her reaction, but Ovelle seemed ever joyful as she continued speaking, "My brothers and sisters told me about you, but I didn't really expect to truly meet you!" Ovelle was in her young teenage years. She and the rest of her siblings all had auburn hair. Her eyes were as the leaves in early spring and her face seemed to have inherited lots of features of her mother. Kukuru gave her a warm nod, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes! I'm much better since I've gotten lots of rest and care from the people here."

"Well well, Kukuru-sama, you're awake so early…" Ovelle and Kukuru stirred as Ovelle's mother stepped in. "You should have gotten more rest…were the children too noisy…?"

Kukuru shook her head as she bowed her head, "No… they were perfectly quiet. Thank you for last night."

"Call me, Maye." Just like her children, Maye had eyes that were of reddish-brown color. Her skin was fairly tan compared to them, and she had a robust figure. On her face, a true mark of kindness and humility was present. Maye gave Kukuru a reassuring grip on her arm. "If you need anything else, we'd be more than happy to help you…" Kukuru couldn't help but feel hesitant about receiving help from this lady. It's a great feeling to be able to find support, yet somehow, it's an unfamiliar feeling to Kukuru, or a feeling she had long forgotten. Kukuru looked at Maye's eyes.

"You are… too kind, Maye. You don't even know much about me…and…" But before Kukuru could finish, Maye softly spoke in, "Kukuru-sama, we don't need an explanation… it's all right…We are not concerned about you and the rest of your company…and about the criminal record that has been placed on you all, though some of the misunderstanding is starting to clear up. I've received letters while my stay in Romalia, about what you were doing for the people of Touvil. Unfortunately, we couldn't have known that a devastating flood of monsters would disguise as villagers…yet, I know for certain you and your group are not the criminals here. And should that matter now? After all, in these hard times, shouldn't everyone be helping one another…?"

Hearing this, Kukuru realized she had something lacking inside and the words from Maye's heart seemed to reveal it to her. She knew the great need to be there for one another, yet this woman's selfless attitude towards the entire situation surprised her or rather shocked her. Quickly Kukuru spoke, "Uh…Thank you, I-" Yet Kukuru stopped abruptly for out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a strange figure cloaked in a large red cape stand outside the shattered window. The second Kukuru turned to examine the figure, the figure quickly dashed away into the crowd. "…I…I think I need some air…" Kukuru turned around and ran outside. Though she grew curious of the strange figure, she also felt a strange sense of indignity in her heart. She didn't understand where this feeling could be brewing from. In many ways, Kukuru was constantly thinking of the past, and somehow trapped within it. She was frustrated in her lack of strength, but now she has seen a part of humanity that glowed. Somehow, Kukuru wished she could return to the state when she did have that same glow in her heart-just as the time she felt the powers of the ARK endowed on her, as the time when she felt the rising passion and desire to save the broken world. Kukuru stopped running, as she wondered when she ever lost that luster and glisten. In the middle of the broken city, she looked about the grey haven of Houfian, lifeless and poor. Seeing that the figure was already long gone, she decided to not keep her mind on it and focus once again on training herself as she did in the past. She slowly headed towards the forest area.

The rain has slowly ceased, but the sky was still as dreary as it was before. The warmth of the sun was completely covered by thin clouds that seemed to glisten as it passed by the glowing radiance. Kukuru settled in an open space as she was practicing her moves, with every precision. She felt a warmness flow inside of her as her blood ran quickly with anticipation. Though it was supposed to be morning, the trees about her, both broken and sturdy began to fall into shadows. Kukuru didn't notice at first, the changing colors of the leaves and the changing hues of the skies above her. Then she looked around, feeling as though there was another presence close by. She kept training alone, letting the only sounds to be heard to be her own breathing and the flow of her movement with her usual crimson suit. And then she abruptly stopped when she heard a strange murmur behind her. She felt her heart race faster, as she froze for a second to confirm whether there was someone other than her in this place. She quickly looked behind her, observing the area. From the corner of her eyes, she could have sworn a faint rush was heard, as though someone has dashed by. Without a moment to lose, she rushed forward to catch up to the person. Yet to her surprise, she heard another presence running towards her from behind. And this time as she turned around, indeed there was a man hooded with a large red cape. Kukuru's eyes narrowed as she spoke. "You- You're the---!"

She stopped her pursuit, which allowed the one she was pursuing to disappear into the shadows. Kukuru wanted to hit herself for not realizing that this person must be collaborating with the other. She asked in her spunky way, "Who are you?"

Yet before she could continue, the figure started walking backwards, almost as though it was floating. Kukuru was fully determined to know who was behind the hood. She didn't enjoy this mystery act and every one of the questions that rose to her mind only frustrated her. Suddenly the figure lunged towards her. Kukuru slightly gasped, not expecting him to actually attack. The mysterious stranger threw his arm to strike her, but Kukuru quickly dodged. She leaned back when another one came her way. The figure than whirled around to kick, but Kukuru stood her ground and quickly stopped the kick with her left arm and in the same place, slightly hit the ankle of her enemy with her foot, whirling around and with both of her hands, struck him hard near his neck. The man seemed amused by her speed, but he was far from being exhausted. He resumed a steady pose, as Kukuru realized he was only warming up. She took in a deep breath. Kukuru tried to see who was behind the hood, but she could see the sturdy chin and the emotionless lips. His eyes and his hair were completely covered. She tightened her fist and the fight began once more.

As his thick cloak wavered in the air, the man jumped high to hurl down a kick, but Kukuru pounced back and rushed in with her own kick, only to be blocked by his arms which he raised to his side. The man hit her shoulder, which made Kukuru stumble back, but she leaned towards the ground, and kicked under. The figure was able to avoid it, and it once again tried to strike Kukuru, but she quickly blocked his fist and retaliated with her own, which hit him fully on his face. Throughout the fight, Kukuru couldn't help but feel a great excitement flood her heart. The fight made her reminisce on her past battles with all her companions, preferably before the last battle with the Dark One. She recalled how their struggle made her stronger, as well as making her admire and love those who fought with her. She didn't feel powerless, so she felt able to defend the people she cared for. She never felt weak with them fighting by her side. The figure whirled around and tried to kick her, but Kukuru was too quick for such a blow, and she quickly dodged it and hurled in her Kaiser glove. She saw him stumble, and took the chance. Kukuru raised her arms and started to shout, "Divine Judg---!" Kukuru stopped in her tracks, completely dumbfounded, before she could fully conjure up her strongest spell.

'….How could I have forgotten…' She did not have any of her powers to summon the force of the guardians any longer. Her eyes of confidence were utterly marked with pure disappointment. She slowly put her hands down, yet she realized her opponent didn't stop. He began to come again. She raised her hands once more, taking heed of his actions and grabbed the arm that was flying towards her.

As he seemed a little surprised, Kukuru quickly hurled a stream of hits towards his neck and face, and finally elbowed his chest. He backed up and as she flung around to kick him, however, another man, cloaked exactly as her enemy, swooped in and kicked her side. She winced as she backed off. Kukuru looked up, her eyes flared with anger and disappointment. There, before her, were two men in large red hooded capes. Her opponent was obviously a little injured from her hits, but she too felt the pain of their attacks. Her opponent looked towards his companion. His masculine voice spoke, "We were close…"

The companion, that interrupted their fight, said, "Not close enough. We failed this time…"

"No! We can finish the task now!" The one Kukuru fought spoke out loud, as he grabbed his companion.

"If it were two on one, it would be possible, however, that is not our way of doing things…" Her opponent looked reluctant as he heard his words, but the companion continued to speak, "What makes you think I could fight her alone if you couldn't even slow her down?"

The breeze blew against their capes as the moment of silence passed them by. Kukuru stared into their nameless faces and walked closer to them, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you attacking me!"

The companion looked at her and simply whispered, "Let us leave for now." And both of them began to dash away towards the trees. She didn't plan on letting them go without hearing her questions answered, thus she started pursuing them. Yet, Kukuru found her breath fall short as a familiar pain began to rise in her heart.

"Guh!" She felt her body grow incredibly cold. She coughed as she fell unto her knees. She shook her head, as she grabbed her heart, barely able to breathe. From her very veins, she felt a part of her realize that the Guardians were shaking in terror. When she closed her eyes, a vision of darkness covering the entire world was seen in her mind, and this time she felt herself being consumed with its entirety. Her legs and hands began to shake, as she felt the pain only grow worse. "I don't understand…the darkness is gone…it's sealed…Yet why do I _keep_ seeing this?"

Looking up, Kukuru saw the two red cloaked strangers standing far off... Kukuru was barely able to get up and while she was trying, the two figures disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Her eyes began to blur and she stopped attempting to rise from where she was. She simply laid her head down on the cold pasture, as she felt her stomach turn with unease. The sky above portentously thundered, while the winds began to blow wildly with signs of evil days to come.

Shante softly laid her hands on Elc's forehead. "Hmm…at least you didn't catch a cold…" She smiled at him, as he was now sitting comfortably on his bed, dressed in his usual attire. She let her hand fall on his shoulder as she gently closed her eyes. As a light glow appeared from her hands, Elc felt the reassuring warmth fill his body. "But I'm sure you'd rather have a cold than an injury like this."

"The weather doesn't make me feel too good… It makes me lose my appetite." Poco's eye brows furrowed in to show an anxious expression. Though the rain stopped for a few hours, a sparkle in the sky seemed to reveal its imminent shower. Elc tried to move his arm in a circular motion. Though it wasn't completely healed, he did feel his strength return. A childish grin was back on his face, "Thanks, Shante." She looked amused at Elc's optimism. In the past, he would only surround himself with his own problems. He would rather feel guilty and remorseful, than to ever show a smile. He felt as though he deserved it, to express how he loathed the mistakes of the past. Yet now, he wants to hold onto any moment whenever he is grateful, a moment that makes him laugh, and a moment that can help others to shine. Perhaps, if it wasn't for the incident with Mariel, as he was confronted with the death of his close friend, he wouldn't have truly valued the natural gift of expressing emotions, both sorrow and delight. Shante smiled back, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Elc slowly got up from his place, "I think I'll give Arc a visit and see how he's doing…" Poco, who was staring into the window for some time, looked away when he heard what Elc said. His face looked a little troubled when the lightning struck, causing his face to darken with the shadows. "Um…Elc…I'm not too sure if you would want to do that…"

Poco caught up to Elc, who turned around with a confused expression. "What do you mean, Poco?"

"Well…um…you see…" Poco's eyes was filled with uncertainty. He closed his eyes as he fully recalled what has happened a few hours ago with Arc in his room. While Elc was still in the room recovering, Poco decided to check up on Arc's condition. As he cheerfully strolled along the hall, he clearly heard loud mourning and groaning from Arc's room. A little surprised, Poco gave a little knock. The sounds resounding from his room was as though he was gravely ill. Poco slightly opened the room and saw Arc on his bed. With his usual tunic on, Arc turned from side to side, his eyebrows creased to reveal frustration and despair. Poco rushed over to Arc's side as he grabbed Arc's left arm.

"Arc! Arc! What's wrong?" Poco was surprised at how deeply Arc seemed to be in his sleep or pain, but it started to even send chills down Poco's spine, as he noticed Arc's face and body was just marked with cold sweat. Poco felt a definite fear for his friend. In utter panic, Poco quickly ran outside to find Gogen. He rushed down the hall, not noticing the three Kelack figures running by him. As Poco was turning the corner, he smashed upon the large plump body of Chongara. Chongara was quite surprised at how great an impact it took on Poco, since Chongara only took a few steps back, while Poco was completely thrown unto his back by the collision.

"Whoa Whoa, little Poco, why you run? You hit Chongara belly hard and now look, you fall..." Poco looked about confused and shook off the dizziness from the fall. Looking up, he saw Chongara give a wide grin, revealing the intimidating rows of pearly yellows and other tan colors.

"Oh…Chongara! Oh! Chongara, this is an emergency!"

"Indeed," Chongara said, staring deep into Poco's little beady eyes. "Emergency? YES! E---mergency! Where they go?" Chongara nodded furiously and scanned about examining the area closely. Poco was completely oblivious of Chongara's concerns. Chongara returned his suspicious glare at Poco once more, "That Kelack, they be here. My eagle eyes of Alatos can see as far as east from west! My ears are as the giant bat, they could hear anything even through the destruction of Romalia!"

Poco gave a very puzzled look towards Chongara's rather confident words. "Uh….No, Chongara! Arc! Arc is in trouble!" Poco said, as he suddenly remembered why he was running in the first place. Chongara, however, returned a smug look and in a dark deep voice began to speak.

"Let Chongara guess, really dark and where sounds only mourning and gnashing of teeth?" To Poco's innocent ears, his words were quite disturbing; however, they also perfectly matched the situation of Arc's disposition.

"How—How did you know?" Poco's eyes widened with shock. Chongara's usual voice reappeared as he gave a most grave look.

"Chongara's eyes of eagle see ALL!"

Poco was still in great panic as he began to jump from side to side, the way he usually does when he is nervous, "Chongara, we must go find Gogen!"

Chongara discarded the idea, waving his hands, "Gogen Smogen--- but Kelack indeed be punished for crime against our Arc the lad!"

"Crime? Wha-What CRIME?" Now Poco was flabbergasted.

"As you said to be, they cause mourning through gnashing of teeth! Thus Arc suffers so greatly as I every night sleep! Teeth grinding keep Chongara up all night! These eyes of eagle can prove it, yes yes! My ears of---" Poco practically threw himself at the mercy of the floor for Chongara's horrible misunderstanding. And at this moment, Kelack is seen out of the corner of Chongara's eyes, and he gives a loud shout, "AH! YOU! KELACK! You teeth gnashing, nocturnal, grief bringing creatures!" The three tiny creatures scurried about even though they didn't understand any of the insult Chongara seemed to throw at them. They nearly bumped unto each other. Luckily (or unfortunately), they quickly dashed away into Arc's room. As Poco was rising from his shocked state, Poco eyes widened when he saw Chongara dashing towards them.

"Wait! Chong-!" Yet it was too late. Poco winced and shut his eyes, as he saw Chongara trip and fall over his head and roll onto Kelack (all three), and smash into the wall.

Arc was shaken awake from the loud noise of Chongara falling over Poco's drum. Apparently, Poco was quite absent minded from worrying and left it on the floor of Arc's room. Arc looked startled and shook his head. He gazed around and finally gazed upon a half-conscious Chongara, flat on the floor with the three Kelacks knocked out from the impact. Poco came running in and rushed over to Arc, completely ignoring Chongara. Arc was up in a sitting position, as Chongara moaned and rubbed his head to ease the pain of the fall.

"Arc! You're awake! You got us so worried…." Poco slightly looked back at Chongara's state, still half-conscious and now mumbling random ideas, and turned back to Arc, "Well…um, most of us…at least…"

Arc weakly returned, "It's all right…just…a nightmare…"

"Oh…" Yet Poco saw the lack of rest in Arc's face, as Arc looked away and let his face down. Arc got up from his bed and stretched a little, letting loose the tension of his muscles. Chongara got up as well. He went over and lightly nudged Kelack(s), to check whether they were alive and breathing. One immediately jumped up dashed towards the door, as the rest of them followed almost simultaneously. Chongara looked angrily towards the door. Arc moved along to equip his armor, "Is…Elc alright?"

Poco nodded towards his friend, "Yea…he's going to get all well soon. You'll see!"

Arc looked somewhat relieved, "I see…" Arc gripped his chest with an upset face.

As Poco stopped recalling the past events, he looked up at Elc. "Elc, I know something's wrong with Arc…but…as usual, he doesn't really tell anyone…" Elc and Shante both shared an expression of concern in their eyes. Yet Elc walked forward as he patted Poco's small shoulder, "Don't worry…I'll keep in mind what you've told me." Elc walked out of his room, as he walked towards the hall where Arc's room was.

The clouds began to thicken with every eerie breeze that covered the earth. Back in the lonely forest of Romalia, Kukuru was sitting down, in the muddy ground where she collapsed. She felt her heart beat return to normal, the pounding headache and the strange shrilling pain that ran throughout her body stop. She simply sat there, her eyes fixed with worry and weariness. She should have known she was being followed from the beginning, but the calm atmosphere of Maye's family seemed to have diverted her focus. She may not know what they were after and why they attacked her, but one thing she knew for certain was that she could not stay with the loving family any longer. Kukuru stared up at the darkening sky, as the afternoon passed by and evening approached. Whether her pursuers were potentially dangerous people, she did not care any longer. She was too tired from the ominous visions that started to come and go wherever she was, whatever she was doing. A fearful feeling told Kukuru that her pursuers will come back again and that all she saw would come to pass. Their tone of voice was steady, revealing a sense of confidence, but she wasn't willing to give them a chance at victory. It frustrated Kukuru to find herself making absolutely no progress. She started to wonder even why she was shutting herself out of the lives of her companions, out of Arc's life. Kukuru pounded her fist to the ground in bitterness and confusion.

"I feel like I'm running away…but I don't even know what I'm running away from…"

Meanwhile, among the ruins of what was once called Millmana Skyport, Clive with his legion of followers, dressed in strange red cloaks, walked on through the wet weather, and approached their aircraft that would lead them back to Seirya. In front of the vehicle, two of his men walked before him and slightly bowed their heads, one of them appeared injured. Clive, who was also under the red hood of his cape, examined them up and down. "How did it go?"

"We were able to spot her, your majesty." The two spoke with respect and fear from the cold stares that Clive only returned.

"Hmm, I see," Clive shook his head slightly as he took off his thin glasses, and simply looked back at them with a stern stare, "Gentlemen, I don't believe 'spotting her' was my actual order to you." The two looked a little uneasy, as they glanced at each other. Clive cleared his throat as he continued, "Clearly, you weren't able to bring her to me."

"Forgive us. We underestimated her strength and her will. She was stronger than she appeared."

"And where is she now?"

"That- That is…" Clive looked quite annoyed as they looked nervous. The two mumbled quickly, "We have lost tracks of her. The usual people she have found shelter with in Houfion were not with her. We've searched the entire area but she wasn't anywhere…" He continued to listen to them as they said, "We will not make that mistake again. Give us another chance."

"…Another chance?" Clive walked by them in a smooth manner, and without looking back continued, "I actually have a better idea…"

The two stirred as he spoke. "What is it, my lord?"

"There is no need to put on a fight and drag her to me. Kukuru did always have her pride to uphold. We shall make it so that she will walk to me with her own two feet. That is… if you could actually find her. Find her… and it would do you well to come back and inform me immediately…"

His two men nodded, as they understood what he was trying to imply. They stepped aside as the massive number of people walked through. Clive simply occupied the most suitable seat there was for a lord of many men. He looked towards the sky as he maliciously grinned. "In only moments, Arc, I will slowly take away all that belonged to you…one by one…starting with what I believe is most dear to you…"

The corrupt and wicked chuckle filled the air. Amidst the darkness, the Silver Noah stood still as powerful as it was in the beginning. With the rain starting again and night falling, everyone was gathered around the Cockpit, waiting for their leader to join them soon. Elc was walking towards Arc's room. Yet, as he was walking down the hall, he stopped as he saw Arc standing in front of his room, towards the windows, watching the dark clouds hover by. His morbid look was apparent to Elc from their distance.

"Hey, Arc!" Arc stirred and looked at Elc, who was walking towards him. Arc gave a subtle smile, "Elc, you seem to be better…"

"Haha, of course! Can't stay on the bed forever, right?" Elc gave a reassuring smug look. Arc looked relieved as he looked back towards the window. Elc noticed Arc's breathing has changed. He seemed rather tired, but Elc knew there was more to it than that. Arc spoke up again, "Have you been thinking about what to do now?"

"Yea, I have. Actually…" Elc stared back at Arc in a determined way, "First, I was thinking about checking up on that wound of yours…"

Arc looked at Elc, confused and unsure of what Elc meant by his words. "Wound? What wound are you talking about?"

"Arc…you've been acting very strange. Heck, you start to look paler all the time. You may want to hide it, but everyone is starting to notice. Shouldn't it be about time that you tell us what's going on?"

"…There is nothing going on. You seem to be misunderstanding something, Elc." A moment of silence passed them as they stared into each other's faces. Elc grew frustrated and his expression clearly showed it. He began to speak in a low tone.

"Do you remember, Arc, the time when we finished our battle with the Dark One. Do you know what you said to me?" Arc's determined face softened for a moment, as he recollected the past. Elc continued to speak, "Little by little, we can help this world grow beautiful once again. And…this can only happen with a strong will and heart…

…hearts like yours, and everyone here. I may be powerless, but I won't stop trying to make a difference as long as I'm still alive and breathing..."

Arc lowered his eyes, silently pondering on his own words. Elc continued, "If I was not mistaken, you said 'we' would help this world grow beautiful. You said 'our' hearts are capable. Have you forgotten, Arc? None of us are alone in this…we finish what we started together, every one of us. Isn't it about time we trust one another enough to not hide anything anymore?" Arc solemnly stared into Elc's determined but encouraging eyes.

"Elc, would you believe me if I said nothing had changed since we've defeated the Dark One? Would you believe me, if I said our battle was indeed for naught?" Elc looked perplexed as he heard this. Arc turned away and continued, "I would keep telling myself, it's through and done, we were victorious, but it kept coming...and it wouldn't stop. His voice I could still clearly hear every night, as if we were fooled all along. Nothing I said, nothing I thought would stop his horrible reappearance in my dreams. Even when I shut my eyes, I could see his face, pale and marked with evil of purest form. Have I gone mad? …Has this entire battle pulled me in so deeply, that I am forever bound in this fate?"

Arc finished his words, and Elc returned a most concerned look. Elc gripped his hands and looked at Arc, "No… Arc, you are not mad…you're what bound everyone together." Arc looked towards him again as Elc spoke and grinned, "Whatever the circumstances, I believe there is a reason why everyone is here, a reason why we are alive. If your destiny was fulfilled, I don't think you would be here…Doesn't matter what fate we're bound by…we must move forward. Arc, you can still depend on all of us. We'll fight together with you till the very end… just like old times… except now we'd be better prepared." Elc lightly laughed, as Arc smiled.

"…I understand and you're right…I've been getting so tense these days, I feel like I've been behaving like a paranoid child. I guess… there's nothing but another confrontation to wait for..."

Elc nodded, "…Right…"

"But you know… if there was a wound, it's probably the wound in my pride." Arc laughed a little as he patted Elc on his back, "Thanks, Elc, for yesterday. It sure humbled me to know that I'm going to have to depend on you guys now and not rely on my own strengths."

Elc chuckled, "Anytime. I think I'm pretty good at it, considering all those times I've helped out Tosh, only to be yelled at and thanked at the same time." They both laughed out loud. Arc started walking towards the cockpit with Elc. Arc smiled as he was truly thankful from the bottom of his heart, to be able to pour out everything to his good friend.

As Arc and Elc returned to the cockpit, they realized everyone was already present. Shu and Shante raised their gaze towards them as they greet them. Elc looked towards Arc, "Arc, give me a moment with them."

"Sure." Arc nodded and walked towards Chongara, who was sitting with Poco and Gogen. Shu and Shante looked somewhat puzzled. Shu began to suspect something since Elc had quite a determined but a peaceful face.

"What is it, Elc? You seem to have something to tell us." Shu spoke while Shante looked towards his concerned.

"Shu, Shante…I've decided, I'm not going back to East Aldia…"

The rain softly continued and every moment the lightning clattered together, Roan would give a little jump. Looking completely awkward, he quickly resumed his work. Though the city was in shambles, Shania was able to find a decent place to rest, while Roan insisted he stay to clear up the documents from earlier. The atmosphere of the city has changed since the encounter with Clive. There was a strange silence in the air, an eerie feeling. Hearing the wind howl by, civilians have gathered about quickly to look for shelter. Shania leaned her body towards the wall, trying to settle in her present circumstances. As she heard the faint patter of the rain against her rigid window, in the dark corner of the room, Shania recalled her conversation with the one presumably called the 'Prince of Palencia.'

The thundering of the sky seemed to only grow louder, as the lightening caused the rooms of Ajarl Bar to turn dark. Shania and Clive stood facing one another. Shania's look of confusion was still imprinted on her face. Clive walked forward, having an inscrutable expression. Roan uneasily coughed as he motioned Diekbeck to stand with Shania. Diekbeck trotted over, as Shania closed her eyes to gather her thoughts and speak.

"I've heard rumors of an heir to the throne in Palencia…that is, until the death of the recent King. Would you care to explain your identity?"

Clive smiled with a confident grin, "Certainly. You are correct in addressing the fact that there was an heir until the death of the recent King. The heir embarked on a journey to research every known _Sealed Ruins_ of this world and thus, left the Kingdom at the age of twenty. No news of his journey was heard, even after the death of his father, the King of Palencia. One year ago, he hears the news of his father's death. With the advice of his trusted counselors, he returns to Palencia to bring order and restoration during this time of the Great Disaster. Yes, I am that heir…"

"…How is it that no one knew about your whereabouts…and no one has ever mentioned you?" Shania crossed her arms, as she found it strange how he kept his identity a secret for so long.

"For some time, the people have assumed I was dead...After the death of my father, the counselors have advised me to keep my identity a secret. In case, another strange assassination attempt would be made. The Kingdom was utterly ruined and there was no stability and foundation. It is just as our world is now, in a state of no order and no peace, which brings me to the reason of why I'm here today, princess…"

"We need not be formal. Though I'm the daughter of royalty of this land, I did not take on the position. The time of monarchy ended with the death of my parents…" Shania showed a glimmer of hurt in her face, yet her eyes were still cold towards him. Clive noticed her slight opposition towards him, yet did not let that affect his firm demeanor.

"I see. Well then, let me get to the point. I would like to offer you a proposition."

Shania raised an eyebrow, "A proposition?"

"As a country on its own, Millmana has always been financially stable. Yet due to the accident with the Deep Oil Rig, financial stability has been thwarted, not to mention, the Headquarters located near the forests lost all control over Millmana."

"…You did your research, I see." Shania felt an anxious feeling rise as she noticed Clive's calm manner. His composure was apparent through his handsome grin, yet Shania felt a malignant intention behind it all. "What is your proposition, Prince Clive?"

"Let us build an alliance. Join hands with me, and let us work together to rebuild our broken kingdoms. Through this, we can also restore other kingdoms ruined by the Disaster." Shania eyes shifted away from his face and looked towards the floor. As much as she was certain that Clive could not be trusted, she realized it was pure foolishness to handle the restoration of Millmana on her own. "How do you expect me to trust you? I barely know you…"

"Should that be so important in times like this?" Clive coolly flung his front bangs to the side of his face, revealing the gleam of his seductive golden eyes.

"…To me..." Shania's eyes flashed a glint of anger. Shania recalled the faces of all her friends and past foes. The memories of all their struggles were fresh in her heart and mind. Too many events have passed by for her to not regard this matter in a serious way. "…trust is everything…I need some time to make a definite decision. I understand that this is a proposal, what do you ask for in return...?" Clive slowly grinned, though he seemed slightly disappointed at her first response.

"Yes, I do ask for one thing in return. I would like to take this machine you have here with me back to Palencia…" Shania's eyes grew wide as Diekbeck clattered in a startled behavior. The lightening clattered and flared a white sparkle amidst the sky. Shania narrowed her eyes towards Clive and stood in front of Diekbeck, "Diekbeck, is not a simple machine. He is not a prize and will not be treated as such."

Clive reclined and gently reassured her, "Yes, you are right, it is not a prize to be won. I only meant my request with the best of intentions. In my journey throughout the Sealed Ruins, the counselors and I have discussed manners of repairing the damage through the help of machines." Shania's eyes did not change towards Clive and she stood her ground still, as Clive continued, "A plan to use the wreckage from Romalia tower to build machines that may aid in building back Palencia has already been started. Nothing would be wasted; it's a simple way to use equipments, to build alliances, and to restore the broken stronghold."

Shania realized Clive was not only cunning, but quiet wise. He was not a simple minded person with simple requests. She did respect his constant inspiration to restore the broken world, yet there was a strange glow in his eyes that Shania began to fear. She could not read any of his thoughts, though they seem to be filled with good intentions. She felt confused towards his charismatic stance, the handsome look of his eyes, almost tempting her to embrace this man as the next leader of Seirya. It was a foolish choice, but she could not trust him. Whether he was heir to the throne or not, the only heir she was going to acknowledge was Arc and him alone. Arc was still alive and he belonged on the throne. "Though it may be for the good of all people, I can not make a decision so soon about handing over Diekbeck."

"Hmm…I understand. Then let me at least show some means of support." Clive motions with his hand as two of his hooded men, walked forward. Shania tensed up as she tried to see who were behind those hoods. "I leave you two of my assistants. They will allow us to be in touch with one another. I'm sure they will prove to be useful."

Clive looked towards one and gave a little nod. The two men bowed towards Shania, who simply gave a stern face towards Clive, doubtful about this strange generosity. Clive took a few step back, as he smiled towards Shania, "Well then, I will leave you now. I will be waiting for your answer to this proposition…"

The thunder hammered throughout the sky, as Clive walked outside the bar with the remaining men by his side. Clive looked up in a defiant manner, giving the sky a queer sneer. He put on his hood and walked silently away. Shania watched through the window, seeing the rain partly blend their red capes to the gray environment. As the faint drops of rain carried the reflection of their red cape, it drizzled down the glass like trails of blood. She looked back towards the two men who stood silent and still. She sighed as she motioned towards one to come closer to her. One of them walked up silently, barely making any noises with his feet. It sent a strange feeling down her back, as she cleared her throat. "There is still much to be done. I ask you both to do your best in helping Roan out with the tasks ahead."

The two men merely nodded, so silently that Shania could hear her own breathing stop. Roan fiddled with his fingers as he nervously looked around him. He didn't really feel comfortable staying in one place with these strange figures. When simply standing by their side, his knees were weak and his glasses fogged up. "Uh, um…your highness…?"

"What is it, Roan?" Shania asked, completely oblivious to Roan's hidden fear.

"I…uh…you see…" Roan gave a quick look towards the two men staring silently back at him. As the lightening crackled again, their eyes seemed to give a faint white light, which made Roan yelp like a young child. Shania gave a skeptical look towards Roan's awkward yelps. Shania crossed her arms, looking disgruntled towards her friend.

"Roan! For a grown man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, crying like a child whenever you hear the lightning thunder." Roan looked a little confused but tried to explain through his panicky mumbling, "But-but, your highness, their- their eyes--"

Shania sighed, shaking her head, "Not today, let's talk more about all this tomorrow. I think this entire meeting drained my energy. Roan, be sure to give proper instructions to our new helpers. Try to get them a decent place to stay if you can…"

Roan sheepishly looked towards them again, dropped his head, and gave an unhappy sigh, "Yes…your majesty…"

Shania opened her eyes, stopping her recollection. Matters seemed more complicated since the appearance of Clive. His disappearance and reappearance was shrouded in mystery. There was nothing she could do for her friends at this point. She could only hold hopeful thoughts for them and especially for Arc. She didn't even want to know how he will deal with the situation of Clive. She closed her eyes, trying her hardest to wash away the worries of this puzzling night within her heart.

Meanwhile, Arc, Gogen, Poco, Tosh, Iga, and Chongara gathered together at the cockpit in the proud Silver Noah. During the course of their long journey, they learned so much from one another. Arc looked around at his comrades faces. Their familiar expressions brought him so much peace. Gogen looked at Arc, who was deeply engrossed in his thoughts. Gogen grinned, recalling how much Arc has matured from the first time they've met. Even now as Arc stood among them, Gogen admired the young lad's humble nature. Though his insecurities are clear to all, his transparent attitude and true heart helped many of his allies to openly face their fears together.

"Arc, are you feeling better now?" Poco asked.

Arc opened his clear brown eyes. "Yes. Thanks, everyone. I've been trying so hard to hide all my struggles, but now I understand that it has built a barrier among us. As a leader, it was immature of me to act that way. I apologize." His friends looked intently back at him, attentively listening. "For many days, I've been struggling with discouraging thoughts. As you've noticed, our mission draws to an end. Yet, I've been haunted with doubts that the Dark One may still revive one day. It's been in my mind like an obsession. I've come to question my sanity, my leadership role, and my role as the future King of Palencia. Yet, in this personal confusion, there is no reasoning and proof behind the revival of the Dark One…

That is why…I don't want my worries, wounds, and struggles to hinder anyone. We all have homes, each one of us. If any one of you wishes to return home, you are more than welcome to…"

Everyone fell silent. Tosh looked quite bitter and disappointed that the issue of their departure must arise. Iga sighed deeply, pondering on what Arc has said. Gogen started to straighten his long beard silently, his eye brows furrowing in to reveal his distress. Chongara took off his large hat as he started to scratch his head with uncertainty. Poco pouted and gave a remorseful look, "It'll be strange, not traveling all together though…"

Chongara heavily sighed, "Aye…not to mention all the adventures…and (ahem) treasures that come along 'em, neh?" Everyone held a dismal look as though the moment of their parting has finally arrived, though the issue has only been lightly touched upon. The heavy atmosphere made everyone grow silent. Arc was saddened to part, yet he knew he shouldn't keep anyone from reaching out to their personal paths. He knew that his personal worries and fears may be simply childish fears. There was no telling when or how he will find out the truth of this manner. The only thing that concerned him at this time was the wellbeing of his friends. Suddenly, Gogen threw his head back and roared with laughter. Everyone looked at their ancient friend with perplexity.

"Ho HO HO! Go Home? Hah!" Gogen slammed his large staff upon Arc's head. Arc grabbed his head as he didn't expect Gogen to hit him so quickly and outwardly without reason, "My boy, do not foolishly think we could leave your side that easily…we still have the promotions to receive, did you so quickly forget!"

"G-Gogen?" Arc's surprised look made Gogen and Tosh's eye grow wide with a mischievous glint. Gogen simply laughed as he fluttered upon his cane, "Now now…did you truly so expect us to leave you so unprotected?"

Tosh chimed in, holding his chin, "As in physical protection, my friend…" He gave an impish look, "It wouldn't be kind of us to leave our king so defenseless on his way to his throne now, would we?"

Iga smirked and nodded in agreement, as Poco said, "My home is in Seirya. Still, Arc, I want to see to it that you get back to where you should be first. It's the least I could do after all that you've done for me, as a friend…as a leader…"

"Poco…" Arc looked surprised at his friend's compassion and determination. A warmhearted feeling brewed inside that made Arc pull a steady grin. Gogen and Tosh returned a disappointed look towards Poco, as Tosh retorted, "Well, if we all must get so sentimental like that, heh, then I suppose…" Tosh did a quick stretch and gave Arc a rough pat on his back, "…that makes two of us…like Poco said, it's the least we could do…"

Arc turned around to find Tosh giving him his usual confident grin. Gogen spoke up, "Ho ho ho… you've forgotten to count another Tosh…I'd say three."

"No, four…" Iga softly spoke, in the same manner he always had. Arc looked a little concerned as he asked, "But Iga… what about the Amaidar Temple?"

Iga closed his eyes as he smiled, "I admit, my friends, that I do want to go back home to the temple. Yet to me, to stand by your side, Arc, I consider it to be an honor and privilege. Our experiences together are priceless to me. It doesn't matter to me whether our paths will go astray or not, it doesn't matter whether your visions are true or not…" Everyone looked at Iga with a stunned expression, seeing Iga's eye lighten up with a certain soft glow. "I'd say, the presence and company of close friends are to be treasured when able."

"Iga…" A moment of silence passes as Iga's deep words sunk into everyone's heart. Gogen smiled, gripping his staff. Poco grew teary but quickly sniffed away his tears, wiping his face without anyone noticing. Tosh simply crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall with ease.

"HAHA! MAKE IT FIVE!" Chongara laughed loudly, as he swung his huge pot around, nearly hitting Poco. "Not to mention, promotions come when Arc go back! You can't forget Chongara and all, Arc, neh?" Arc was deeply moved by everyone, who returned a look of trust and comfort. He laughed lightly. "Of course …I could never…"

"Is there room for _one_ more?"

Everyone turns around to find, Elc standing with his arms crossed. "That is… as long as Arc doesn't mind?"

"Elc?" Gogen raised an eyebrow, watching Elc walk toward them. Tosh turned to look at Iga and Poco, with an amused face, as they returned him the same expression.

"Elc, but…what about East Aldia?" Arc asked.

"It's been on my mind for quite some time… the feeling that I don't have a place to return to, but I've been wrong all along." At this moment, Shu and Shante walked around the corner of the corridor, watching their conversation. "I've always had a place to go back; it's just, I've never truly searched for it. Arc, let me help you too— just till I can find a place called home to go back to…"

"Everyone...thank you." Arc raised his hand to scratch his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed by everyone's sentimental attitude. Everyone simply laughed at Arc's obvious behavior, as Arc laughed with them.

Shante and Shu were smiling in the midst of their warm conversation. "I never thought it would turn out this way for Elc." Shante said.

"Yes, but Elc has already determined his path. He's been changing ever since the day I've met him. He's growing so fast…not a child anymore, I suppose."

"You sound as if you almost miss his childish behavior." Shante sarcastically winked at Shu, who laughed in response to her accusation.

"Haha. No…it only confirms what I believed in from the beginning…"

"Which is…?" Shante curiously asked. Shu put his head down, as his firm and cold eyes seemed to soften for a moment. For many people, it was rare to see such side in Shu.

"…That one day, I'd let go and see him off on his own." Shante smiled, seeing Shu's brotherly heart. Shu looked towards where Elc was, seeing how Elc was laughing with the rest of the company. Chongara patted Elc on the back, as Elc somewhat cringed from the incessant pain. Poco dragged Chongara away, as Iga and Gogen laughed with Elc. Watching them, Shu knew he could be certain Elc would be all right. From the first days in the desert till now, Shu anticipated for this day but, at the same time, he's unprepared for it. It dawned on Shu, how truly he was attached to Elc as a brother, and how he shall always be. Shu turned and smiled back at Shante. "Let's go back home, shall we?"

"Right behind you." Shante giggled as she grabbed her belongings.

"Hmph, so quick to leave are we, Shu?" Shu stopped, recognizing the brash voice of Tosh. "No, Tosh…somehow, it's harder than it looks…"

Shu turned around, as Shante smiled and moved on towards the door. Tosh smirked as he gave Shu a good punch on his arm and firm hug. "You're going to be missed. And you know, your skills could use some honing."

"As you. Tis a shame we can't have a rematch to truly test our skills against one another."

"Heh! I'd beat you any day. I just wanted to spare you the humiliation."

"So very thoughtful of you…" Shu simply returned the usual grin as they both chuckled.

The landing platform opened, as the stairway was prepared for Shu and Shante to leave. Cautiously they walked down, as everyone else's eyes stared on. Shu and Shante walked a few steps away from the platform and turned back towards everyone. Arc waved, "Thank you. We'll meet again…I'm certain of it."

Gogen laughed, "Ho ho ho. And let's hope you've made some progress by then, Shu, Shante." Shante immediately blushed as she played with her hair suddenly while Shu growled under his scarf with a faint blush. Gogen simply fluttered away towards the back of the cockpit, "HO Ho hO…"

Shu looked up and saw Elc, staring back at them. Shu sighed and sternly asked, "You could take care of yourself, right?"

"Of course, are you kidding me?" Elc nodded. Poco waved, jumping up and down. Shante gave her final wave. They both turned around to start heading towards Prodias, the closest town. Elc watched as he shouted from afar.

"Uh…Shu!"

Shu stopped. He slightly turned his head, not completely facing him. Elc softly spoke. "Thanks….for everything…." Shu smiles at him. Yet, before the warm moment lasted for another second, Tosh barged in and grabbed Elc around the shoulder. "Aww, what's all this mushy stuff? Didn't know our little pyromaniac had a soft side, hahaha…"

Elc gave an annoyed glance towards Tosh's sarcastic attitude, as everyone chuckled with Tosh, who waved towards Shu, "Now get out of here, go live your lives, and restore the world in the process, will you?"

"You bet." The lift was raised and the platform was shut. Inside, Arc turned towards Chongara, "All right, Chongara, we're ready when you are."

Chongara gave a thumb up towards Arc as he shouted, "Off to Seirya then! HAHA!"

Elc looked out the window for last time, watching the environment below grow smaller and smaller, as well as the figure of Shante and Shu grow harder to distinguish below the Silver Noah. Elc grinned as he knew inside there was a new road ahead of him, a new path for him to walk. A childlike excitement gripped Elc's heart, and Arc noticed it. Arc knew it as well, the journey was far from over for all of them. He turned away from the others as he looked out the window, watching the sky's unchanging behavior. For Arc, he only hoped that this unknown path was a path for a hopeful future.

To the reviewers: I'm sorry that I haven't updated this in so LONG. Finally, I'm back and I just wanted to thank you all for your reviews and comments. Please continue to review and comment to your heart's content. God bless you!


	4. From Desert and Snow

Disclaimer:

"**Arc the Lad**" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.

From Desert and Snow

The faint stars glistened from afar. Sitting on the porch of the Misro Inn of Niedel, Kukuru looked towards the sky. Her long ponytail fell lightly onto her back, as she raised her head. Her youthful face, pale but vibrant, held a contemplative stare. She turned and looked towards her warm room inside the inn. She didn't know what to think, for the hour was an anxious one for her beloved friend, Arc. All of his companions were having high hopes for their friend, who was soon to compete in the arena for the Wind Orb. It was only hours before the event of the arena. Though Niedel was usually bustling with commotion even during the late hour, perhaps the event brought a great hush unto the people.

The rest of her companions, being all the opposite gender, were resting inside the cold floor of the large storage room, since there were no other vacancies for all of them together. She was allowed to rest on a comfortable bed of the inn. Yet the bed did not bring forth much comfort that Kukuru had hoped. She closed her eyes, but no sleep will dwell therein. Thus, she got up. Closing the door behind her, she gently walked across the hall of the quiet inn, onto the front porch, stepping down the few steps and then onto the dusty dirt floor that surrounded the inn. Wondering what to do while the night seemed so young, she silently walked about with her head looking onto the floor. A strange sound caught her attention as she raised her head to get a clearer echo. She caught the sound of the winds being sliced apart. She followed the faint noise, as it became evident it was coming from the back of Inn.

She stopped as she saw Arc breathing heavily as he seemed to be in the process of training. His bandanna wet with cold sweat and his shirt damp, he seemed to hold so much energy in his age and stance. Arc raised his sword, which glistened in the faint moonlight coming from the large star that was slightly covered with grey clouds. He then quickly one-handedly swung it towards his right side, as he quickly cut the air again. He continued his swordplay, the blade dancing about in the air in his hand. Kukuru watched as she leaned closely towards the wall of the inn. She watched as the blades of grass underneath Arc would dissipate from the force at which Arc was slicing through the area about him. She smiled at Arc's determination to win. Arc landed his sword upon the floor, letting it sit rooted in the sands. He slightly walked back, as though he was admiring his handiwork. He sighed, as he let his head down, still breathing heavily. Kukuru quickly turned away; ready to leave before showing Arc her presence.

"Kukuru…" She froze in her tracks, surprised that he noticed her there all along. She turned around as she met his gaze looking back at her with a tired look.

Tosh got up in his uncomfortable position, finding Chongara's bottom half, taking almost all of his sleeping space. Tosh slightly grumbled, as he scratched his head in thought. He peered above, finding Gogen strangely afloat, resting silently upon all the barrels. Poco was curled up like a little puppy in the corner of the room. While Iga, looked as stiff as a board. Tosh continued to look about, slightly confused at the missing presence of Arc. He calmly got up, hoping to not disturb anyone's sleep. The moment Tosh began to stir, Chongara immediately grabbed him. Tosh's hair seemed to stand on its own from the sudden fright as Tosh panicky tried to free himself from Chongara's unexpected grip. Chongara merely murmured, "No…no…tis too precious…can't sell….can't…give…" Tosh gritted his teeth as he used all his might to get Chongara's arms off his leg. He pushed and pulled apart Chongara's arms, yet to no avail. Tosh slightly growled as his face turned dark from bitterness at his own disposition. Suddenly, the stagnant Iga moved about in his slumber as he shoved Tosh's free leg away from his side. Tosh, losing his balance, with his eyes wide, fell upon Chongara, who immediately let go of the leg and loudly snorted. Tosh jumped over him and ran to the door. He turned around to see everyone's reaction. To his surprise, they were all asleep, almost too deeply asleep. Chongara scratched his large belly, as he mournfully murmured, "…gah…now broken….gah…Chongara…so unhappy…(snort) (snort) "

Tosh sighed with relief as he opened the door and left the room. After a short moment passed, Iga got up in a sitting position with his eyes still closed, "Yes, I would like some wine with that…thank you…" Then he quietly laid his head back down into his once again stagnant position, stiff as a board. Tosh walked towards the door. He didn't mean to intrude into her privacy, yet he thought it wouldn't hurt if he did check up on her. He turned towards Kukuru's room, but was surprised to find it slightly opened. He opened the door and went in cautiously, but to his misperception, she was not resting on her bed. Tosh's mind started to wander as he summed up the fact that neither Arc nor Kukuru were resting in their respective rooms. Worried about their whereabouts, Tosh decided to seek them out.

Kukuru and Arc were sitting upon the floor, next to Arc's standing blade. She let her hand pass along the grass, feeling the tingle of their poignant edges. Arc simply looked straight ahead, towards the city, towards the hills, with the Niedel Arena behind them. Kukuru was slightly amused at the way Arc occasionally took a glance at her. She turned towards him, "Practicing for tomorrow?"

He quickly looked away and returned looking towards the hills. "Yes, for a moment…"

"Everyone believes in you tomorrow. You'll do fine."

"I know. We've come this far. Walking down the path that my father walked on made me realize that this journey is but one part of a larger path." A moment of silence passed them by. He looked at Kukuru and smiled, as she smiled back at him. Kukuru admired Arc's strong sense of hope and peace. She leaned back and looked towards the sky.

"You are right. It is a fraction of a larger path...a greater plan, perhaps. I guess, as a child, I've always believed it. My mother sometimes spoke of it and of the Great Light, called Holy."

"…Great Light…Holy?"

"Yes, she said it would protect those who pursued righteousness not for selfish aim. I've always regarded it as a child's story. It's strange how I can still recall her words…OH!" Kukuru suddenly stopped as she realized how rude she was to speak about her mother in front of Arc. Since the disappearance of his mother, the entire team decided to be careful what they say in front of Arc.

"I-I'm sorry, Arc." Arc turned away as he began to silently ponder. Kukuru started to beat herself up in her thoughts as she always failed to recognize others around her and spoke too soon for her own good. "I…I didn't mean to-"

"Kukuru," Arc slightly interrupting her train of thought, "…it's the first time you ever spoke about your parents."

"Oh…yes, that's true." Kukuru was even surprised at herself; she hardly opened up to others to the point of talking about her family. She suddenly blushed from embarrassment of her mistake and reaction. Arc disregarded the previous subject.

"I would like to hear more about them. You rarely talk about your village or your family."

"Perhaps, it was because there was not much to tell…" Kukuru softly spoke, her eyes fixed on the floor around them.

"Any siblings?" Arc also leaned back and looked towards the sky.

"No. I'm the only child as you are."

"And your parents?"

"My father is the head of the Sacred White Clan. His lineage has started when he was twenty years old. And my mother…passed away when I was eight years old." A moment of silence passed by, as Kukuru kept looking at the green area. Arc gazed at her, slightly perplexed at what she said.

"I-I wouldn't have imagined."

"Does it surprise you?" She asked, not looking back at him.

"No. I shouldn't have… I'm sorry about your mother." Arc realized Kukuru's past was quite vague to him. Hearing that she's lost her mother at such a young age, made Arc ponder at the similar position that he found himself in.

"It's all right, Arc..." She decided to quickly pass the awkward silence as she smiled at him, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Well, as long as this battle draws us closer to the whereabouts of the Wind Guardians, then this entire ordeal would be worth our time."

Kukuru giggled as she leaned forward and let her hands support her head, "As usual, back to the reason of why we started this journey. So many things have happened thus far," slightly closed her eyes, she continued, "I still can't believe you were…son of the true King of Palencia."

"…it still doesn't seem real to me as well…" Arc coughed uncomfortably. "I remember, the first time we met…"

At this moment, Tosh turned around the corner of the inn, hearing their voices. He had no intention of intruding their conversation, yet his eyes seemed to reveal a faint disappointment at their encounter. Kukuru grinned thinking of the fateful day when she stood under the Guardian Peak, as Arc continued his thoughts, "You said you wanted to avoid marrying the Crown Prince."

Kukuru still regrets from time to time what she has done and what path it has led everyone to. She nodded as Arc laughed a little and he softly spoke, "I know this is quite wrong of me, but I can't help but be glad that you did."

Kukuru felt herself hold her breath. She didn't know how to take in the words he just spoke to her. Yet she decided to not overreact to anything. She did not want to misunderstand and consider his feelings towards her. Arc continued, "…We would have never met."

They turned to face each other. Kukuru felt her face flush so terribly that she turned away and quickly added, "Of course, all the others too. This adventure and about your father…none of it would have happened."

Arc slightly blushed from feeling quite uneasy and nervous. "If - If my father was the King today," Arc stopped, as looked at her, "And if I was the Crown Prince of Palencia…"

Kukuru didn't turn her head to look at him. She was afraid her entire face would reveal her anxious thoughts and emotions. She couldn't help but be nervous about the expressions that he uttered. She was unsure of how to interpret any of them. There was not a moment, when she did not wonder about the same thing, ever since the day she saw Arc show to the King of Palencia the symbol of his lineage. Kukuru shyly looked at him. The clouds cleared away from the moon, revealing a clear gleam across the towns. Their eyes seemed to lock on its own. Staring into his light brown eyes, Kukuru couldn't lie to herself, she truly admired Arc, perhaps more than she realized or hoped. As time passed by between them throughout their adventures, she couldn't help but find his curiosities amusing, his ordinary looks warm, and his gentle compassion for others alluring. Arc brought their eye contact to an end, finding himself feeling completely timid around her. Kukuru has always been more confident, vibrant, and headstrong. Arc nervously chuckled and said, "…Makes me wonder where we would be right now…"

Kukuru's eyes wavered, as she was unsure of how to react. Arc noticed she seemed a little insecure and pressured to utter words that she did not yet feel comfortable saying. Yet, hearing what Arc had to say made Kukuru realized that their feelings have grown farther than she could comprehend. Nonetheless, she did not want to break her promise to Tosh, a promise that he would be the first to know where her feelings were leading her. She sighed as she looked down at her hands, resting on her knees. "It makes me wonder too, Arc."

Kukuru got up from where she sat; she walked a distance away as she patted her clothing to remove the dust that came from the ground. She stretched slightly as she looked at Arc, who got up as she did. "It's getting late, if you don't get enough rest, we can't be too confident that you'll be able to win that orb tomorrow."

Arc didn't know how to read Kukuru's abrupt change of topic. He went to put his sword away in its sheath, as he turned around he was surprised as Kukuru stood closer to him than he expected. Yet he seemed a little down that he couldn't understand her feelings much less his own, and though he had a nonchalant expression, Kukuru grinned to find the childish uncertainties build up inside of him. Kukuru raised her hands, and held the ends of his bandanna. She lightly tugged on it as it tightened on his forehead. He looked into her eyes, and she drew closer to his face and said, "It does make me wonder, but we should think about it after the whole messy situation is over. That way, peace will find its way of joining two hearts together. Don't you agree…Arc?"

Arc, staring into her crimson eyes, recognized that she once said the same thing after the attack near the Water Shrine, when he believed Tosh and Kukuru were in love, only to find that he misunderstood the entire situation. The wind blew past them, as his chestnut hair faintly covered his face. Kukuru's long hair tossed about with the wind, as she sweetly smiled back at him. He grinned as he finally returned Kukuru the warm smile that made her heart dance. "Yes…I agree. Let's go back…" Kukuru returned him a nod, as they strolled towards the inn together.

Tosh, on the other hand, quickly withdrew as he saw that they were coming towards the inn. He walked back into his room, shutting the door behind him. He stood near the door of their room, staring down at the floor. His eyes dim with distress lost its entire luster. He suspected their emotions have grown for one another. He simply laughed at himself as he shook his thoughts away. He sat next to Chongara, the space he occupied before was already too crowded for him to lie down again. Therefore, he pushed Chongara over completely to upon his belly, as Tosh potently made himself room to sleep. Chongara mumbled again, but being a deep sleeper, did not wake up. Tosh breathed in and out heavily as he closed his eyes to rest.

Kukuru woke up, with her eyes wide. She looked to her side, as she realized she's been dreaming the entire time. Kukuru stood up from her bed, as she stared around her small room of Gazalla Inn. The curtain in the corner of the room, revealed the faint light of day peeping in. The wooden ground underneath the bed seemed to hold the heat of the desert. The stuffy environment was least of her concerns, nonetheless. She was rather quite surprised that her flashback would be so vivid. She realized that she seemed to have seen more than she could recall from her own memories. She didn't know that Tosh has seen her conversation with Arc. Or was it her mind filling in the spots of her own memory with other scenes? She sighed, remembering the fragments of memory coming to life in her dreams. Kukuru got up and looked outside the window, finding the Alatos citizens quickly rebuilding their sandy town together. From Romalia, she was able to find a slow boat ride that was able to bring her to Alatos shores. She sought ways to avoid large crowds of people as she headed towards the desert.

Meanwhile, as the morning drew near in Seirya, the darkness did not cease to leave the presence of the people. As though the entire world was covered in a shroud of shadows, though morning came, one could not call the hour of the day morning at all. In the Kingdom of Palencia, Clive opened the door to where a large mirror stood. It was the same mirror that Prime Minister Andel stood before to create the darkest of his schemes. Clive composedly examined the surroundings. The place was oddly unaltered even after the Great Disaster, as though some mystic force held the location in one piece. Clive took off his thin glasses and settled it down close to the ill-omened mirror. His back to the mirror, he walked around the chamber, finding the curtains still damp from the waters that spewed through the cracks of the castle walls. No windows were in the room, only one door that led to this dark corner. Clive lifted his right arm to his side, as his large coat made a soft rustle against the air. Snapping his fingers, the entire room illuminated with red flames upon the broken and empty candle holders upon the walls of the chamber. The flames did not bring about the same bright gleam as other flames, yet these flames were as red as the dark autumn leaves that stained the earth in its season. As Clive stood still, the reflection of himself inside the mirror slowly stirred and turned. The image distorted as a most ghastly face appeared within the mirror.

"So you've returned to this place, Clive…" Clive turned around, his stern eyes staring back into the mirror. He grinned as he slightly bowed his head. The Dark One continued to speak; "Now as my power remains upon the people of this world, my deception covering the expanses of their land, the light is disappearing as well as the people's will to remember it…"

"Yes, Master." Clive raised his head as the curtains were unraveled, madly fluttering inside the chamber. "The light of the Guardians have completely faded. There is nothing that poses a threat to your plan now, Master."

"On the contrary, Clive," the Dark One's voice resonated as Clive's eyes revealed his concern at what he has heard, "though the Guardians' powers cease to exist and the Ark remains a useless artifact…there is still one that can stands against me."

Clive narrowed his eyes as he was clearly irritated at the potential threat, "What could possibly exist to be powerful enough to stand against all your power? You can not mean…?"

"Arc?" The Dark One laughed. "No, the boy has no strength left inside to even fight the weakest of chimeras. I know his capabilities more than he does, which makes my revenge all the more eminent."

"Then who can stop you?"

"The truth can stop me, Clive. There still remains a light, an eternal light that emits its life unto man. The Great Light called Holy."

"Holy?" Clive stood up and stared into the mirror, fainting reflecting his own image. The ghastly appearance continued to utters its evil desires, "Yes…Holy. It was the roles of the petty guardians to reveal unto mankind the existence of this Great Light…that is, until I took the matter into my own hands. I covered the minds of people with my deception, made them forget their Guardians, made them abuse their blessed powers, and made their curiosities extend to selfish ambitions; it was I, who created the flawless plan to ruin them, a flawless plan to stand against the Great Light...until…" The voice of the Dark One grew deeper as it hissed with much hate and resentment, "The foolish boy dared to rise against me, dared to use what I've already planted against me! The guardians and their powers are still nothing compared to my own might! I will rise above Holy and reign over their precious world, then," the grim face upon the mirror grinned, "Then I will have my ways with the boy, he would wish he has never faced me before…"

"What must I do?"

"We must move to destroy them before Holy comes to disclose my plans. Haste is what we need, and with haste we shall take the lives of these people here."

"I understand quite well. A strategy has already been formed to do as you asked." Clive smirked as he picked up his glasses, holding it on by its rim. He held it a distance from his face, peering through the skewed image of his surroundings through the glass. "In fact, it has already commenced. Millmana is where it will all begin…"

"None can stop it. With all my powers bestowed on you, Clive, all will be done as I have planned…" With this the Dark One's grim appearance faded away into darkness of the mirror, as the only reflection left was that of Clive, who still stood, holding his glasses.

With a look of poise, he spoke gently, "Pity; they do not comprehend just how far the eyes of the Dark One perceive."

On the other side, upon the land of Forles, in a humble town of Holn, Lieza finally approached her home, quite tattered from the storms of the Great Disaster. She observed the village, finding nothing but ruins and people hitting the earth in bitterness and sorrow. Paundit slightly whimpered as it walked before Lieza few steps, sniffing around his surroundings. Lieza, watching her steps, stood near the edge of the cliff. She sighed, seeing the broken view of the Forles hills and valleys below her. Much of the people's belongings seemed to have fallen over the stony cliff.

"I'm back, grandfather…" She stared above to her left, to what was left of the large windmill next to her home. As the wind traveled through the tearful atmosphere, the windmill creaked as fragments of its still holding on with the woven fibers fluttered with the wind. Lieza held her golden braid, as she narrowed her eyes. The people diligently worked, removing the large boulders that fell upon the town as well as their livestock. Cursing as well as encouraging one another, the people were spurred to move swiftly through their despair. Lieza walked into their home, as the furniture was generally in its own area; still the entire house was in disarray. Walking next to the fireplace, she stopped as she noticed glass shattered from a broken frame. Carefully she knelt down and turned the frame over to find a faintly damaged picture of her grandfather, herself, and Paundit. She smiled, wiping the debris away from picture. Paundit entered the house, but something was strange for he was faintly growling.

"Paundit, what's the matter?" As soon as she asked the question, Lieza heard loud cries and noises from the townspeople outside. Lieza drew closer to Paundit as she courageously walked outside her broken home and confronted the mob that gathered closely around her home.

"What is going on?" She calmly asked.

"We've been attacked by the chimeras recently." A broad man spoke rashly towards her as the rest of the villagers with him nodded in agreement. Paundit intensely growled at hearing their voices rising. Lieza calmly placed her hand on his back as she stared the man straight in the eyes, "How could it be? After the Great Disaster, shouldn't the number of chimeras decreased?"

"Yes, that's true…but," Lieza's eyes looked a little confused as they continued, "since the nights before you've arrived, what's left of our stocks are being taken away by those fiends."

"Perhaps, they are hungry and seeking food by invading our territory." Lieza suggested, finding it to be the only logical explanation of their behavior.

"That's what we believed as well. Yet, we've followed the chimeras over to the mountains, where they resided. No traces of blood, no traces of the remains of our animals are left. The monsters themselves were there and were quick to drive us out from their habitat."

"That is odd." Lieza began to ponder silently as the rest of the crowd murmured among each other. The man continued to speak, "Few of the men decided to travel through the chimeras, to find their livestock. But…"

"They have not returned?" Lieza's expression revealed her signs of worry.

"Yes...and it has been already two days…"

"The place where Chimeras reside would mean possibly the Chimera Research Lab or Mother Claire's home… yet, we can't be certain."

"We are preparing ourselves for any immediate attacks. We will protect our livestock. After all that's happen, and even this, there seems to be less hope for a peaceful future every day…" The crowd slowly dispersed heading towards their own families or homes. Lieza stood quietly observing the scene. Paundit walked next to her and licked her hand to get her attention. Lieza stooped down and pet Paundit, her eyes still with thought. Night drew close as the people of Holn were quickly preparing to find a place to rest their weary bodies. The men of the village began to surround their only source of food and means to survive. Inside her home, Lieza searched the cabinets, drawing out any sorts of healing ointments that she could find. Paundit sat faithfully close by, watching his master's every move. She finally tightened the long purple sash around her waist. She kneeled on the floor, as she called Paundit over. Paundit eagerly walked and sat before her. As Lieza smoothed the ruffled hair on Paundit's back she gently spoke to him, "The villagers sure seemed to be stirred up by these strange events. If there's one place I know better than most, it's the Chimera Research Lab. Paundit, I'm going to go there tonight and see what exactly is going on again."

Paundit seemed more than ready to follow but Lieza stopped petting her fury friend as she sighed in deeply. "But Paundit, you will not go with me this time…" Paundit blinked as it slightly whimpered and nudged her hand away to object. She smiled as she held his face, slightly scrunching his skin together, making him appear like a stuffed animal. "I need you to go to Mother Claire's place. She knows about Chimeras behaviors more than anyone. So I need you to go and see if the chimeras are holding the livestock there. If they could not find the carcasses of their animals, then they must be alive somewhere."

Lieza let go of Paundit's face as she tickled his ears and whispered, "Ready?" In response, Paundit made a grunting noise, almost a slight growl. Lieza rose from where she kneeled and grabbed her Scorpion Tail whip and jumped out of her back window, already shattered from the Great Disaster. Paundit followed after her. She looked about to make sure no one would notice her leave. She nodded towards Paundit, "Be careful, Paundit…"

Paundit immediately dashed away into the bushes, making only the slightest rustles through the green bushes. Lieza inhaled and exhaled deeply as she quickly headed towards the Chimera Research Lab. The villagers cautiously waited, holding their only offensive tools. They watched the skies draw darker and the clouds gathering towards the moon. Though all were calm, in the midst of that calm brewed the malignant plans and powers of the Dark One.

The skies seemed particularly darker near the region of East Aldia. The waves crashed deathly closed to the homes of the civilians in Prodias. The Ceremony Pavilion in shambles, the buildings around the area crumbling even still was already covered by the water. All that remains is a rocky island that's nearly inhabitable. Indigos barely survived the massive floods of the Great Disaster. Most residents took to the Wastelands and the Ruin Town to hide from the phenomena. Shu and Shante quickly found rest in Indigos. After few days of traveling through East Aldia, they finally reached their destination. Shu's apartment didn't seem to exist any longer, same goes for the Indigos Bar that Shante worked at. Observing the remains of the Indigos Bar, Shu and Shante walked in, avoiding the debris that fell once in a while. Clearly many civilians took to wasting their days mourning over their loss by drinking any unbroken bottle of wine, as they were scattered about near the stage and the counter. Shante looked frankly disappointed at the people who took to taking over her work space. Shu motioned to her towards the door, thus Shante followed Shu away from the sad scene.

"Let's go to the apartment complex. We'd be better help there." Shu carried his bag over his shoulder and walked forward. As Shu and Shante walked into the crumbling building, it was evident that many people already settled in quite well. One who was organizing the number of people occupying the apartments was no other than the doctor of the town, Lado. Shu has not gotten the chance to meet Lado again fter he has graciously offered his services to Elc, who asked him to heal Lieza. As Lado was quickly fumbling down names, he noticed Shu and Shante walking in.

"Shu! My goodness…it's been a while, my friend!"

"Same goes for you. I didn't expect to find you here. Nonetheless, I'm glad to see that you're safe."

"Hah! Safe! You can hardly say that I'm safe, Shu," as Lado was pointing to the large desk that used to hold all the room keys he continued, "See the missing keys, and the angry people here. There's a multitude seeking shelter, but there aren't enough rooms, and there are injured civilians but I am their only doctor! There has been no rebuilding of this city as of yet, but there's drunkards running amuck, and there's-"

"Speaking of drunkards, I'm surprised to see you're not destroying your liver at the bar, doctor," Shante smiled as she lightly patted Lado on his shoulder. Lado with his handkerchief tapped his forehead from the sweat that resulted from his heightened stress level. Shu smiled, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Heh, done saving the world, are you?" Lado grinned, as he put his handkerchief away into his long sleeves, "Unfortunately, people scarcely remember it as saving the world after all this. Well, the up stair corridors could use some restructuring. If we're going to find people some place to stay, it'd be best to start there."

"Very well then, I'll see what I can do. Shante, perhaps you should stay here and assist Lado with the wounded."

"I will. Watch your step, Shu." Shu nodded as he promptly passed the people who were lying down the floor. As he was walking up the stairs, he was surprised to see how sturdy it was. "Strange, through the Great Disaster, I expected this entire place to have collapsed."

Shu continued forward but stopped abruptly as he caught the essence of an unknown great power. He looked up as three men in dark scarlet cloaks turned the corner to walk down the stairs. Shu quietly observed them, as the first of three started down the stairs. He slightly moved aside, barely making eye contact with the three strangers. As they started walking out the apartment, Shu glanced at them quickly. He turned away, feeling their essence completely away from the building. As he walked along the corridors, he stopped as the place was tremendously unstable. It seemed as though the ground underneath him would shatter if he were not careful. To test the strength of the foundation, Shu picked up a decent sized stone. It was quite heavy in his hand. He tossed it across the hallway. The moment the stone hit the floor, the impact caused the foundation to give way, as the left side of the hallway crumbled and caved in slightly.

"It's unlikely for the ground to still be standing when three men walk across…unless…" Shu's eyes grew wide. He quickly dashed downstairs. Shante stopped her assistance, seeing the apparent change in Shu's stance. Shu walked up to Lado, "Lado, who were those three men in red just now?"

"Three men in red? Hmm, quite frankly I don't know, Shu. They were upstairs for the night. Though I prompted the civilians to rest upstairs as well, the unsteady grounds ward them off."

Shu remained quiet, sinking in the information. Shante walked next to him, noticing his face showed clearly signs of his distress. "Shu…?" Without answering her, Shu walked outside the inn. He looked about the city. The people looked with curiosity as Shu ran around the corners of the buildings. Passing the Hunter' Guild and reaching the corner of the Comic Shop, he stopped as he began to focus his thoughts. His left hand reached for the small throwing knives he equipped on the side of his belt. Shu walked cautiously forward but stopped as he noticed three large shadows upon the floor growing darker and smaller by the second. Shu jumped aside as he threw three knives, directly aimed towards the three men cloaked in red. With their large capes, tightly wrapped around them, they spun around and stopped his little projectile weapon with their silver armlets that was wrapped upon their forearms. Landing steadily, the three still veiled by the large hoods, stood up.

"Why do you pursue us, stranger?" One of them spoke up, obviously the one leading the threesome.

"Didn't know that the territories of Blood Okami reached as far as East Aldia..." As Shu spoke, the three seemed alarmed, as they slightly grunted from his words. The leader spoke, "How surprising…to find someone who knows of our existence…"

"What brings the Okami here?" Shu steadily spoke, as he slowly reached again for his belt. The leader's lips curled to form a grin. His voice took a deeper tone as he faintly said, "Careful…We can taste fear before seeing it…"

Suddenly the two behind the one who spoke jumped forward and kicked Shu, who was thrown to the wall behind him. Shu held his chest from the momentary pain, as he quickly dodged again from their quick fists, which hit the wall. Shu quickly jumped upon the wall, walking over and jumping unto the other side. Being right behind the leader of this small group, he quickly threw a high kick, towards him. Their leader, with his back to Shu, hastily raised his arm and blocked the impeding attack. Shu backed up as he swiftly threw a punch. The leader simply turned around to grab Shu's fist, bringing it upwards, as he returned a kick to his stomach. Shu stepped back, as the man cloaked in red rushed forward. As Shu whirled around to throw another kick, the figure suddenly disappeared and the only thing wrapped around Shu's leg was the large red cape. Shu looked with alarm as the maneuver caught him by surprise. The remaining two, running across the wall, flipped forward, throwing several shurikens at Shu. Shu quickly dodged them and even kicked one away without getting injured. The two swiftly slid down from the wall. And the last of them reappeared from the lifeless red cloak that was lying on the floor, rising from the floor and taking form. He maliciously chuckled as he nodded with sure approval of Shu's keen skills. Shu simply narrowed his gaze towards them. His mouth and chin covered from the large maroon shawl wrapped around his neck.

"Stealth …just the way I remember it…." Shu spoke as he stood up from his position. "I didn't know Okami resorted to attacking in groups…"

"We do prefer to fight one on one," the leader spoke up quietly, "In this case, however, you are an exception…an unusual exception. To know so much, it's surprising that you're alive, but…we can't let you live any longer." With this, one of them jumped upon the leader's shoulder, using it to get the boost to jump across towards Shu. Shu got into a stance that brought him lower towards the ground. As he was about to dodge the coming kick, the other two swiftly reached behind their backs, thrusting out two shotguns. Shu dodged the kick and jumped upon the walls to get the upper hand. Missing the bullets that were following after him, the debris luckily covered Shu's appearance, distorting their aim. Spotting their red cape, Shu rushed in to kick only to fall on the cape with no one in it.

"Damn…" Shu whirled around and found the two remaining armed with their shotgun. Alarmed, Shu raised the red cape over him. The other two stopped advancing abruptly. Shu noticed their strange behavior. Using this opportunity, Shu immediately tossed the red cape towards them, ran, and quickly slides down the floor between them to the other side. They whirled around as Shu quickly jumps and thrusts a kick on both of their faces. The two falls on the floor, dropping their guns, while the stagnant cloth rises again and this time flutters towards Shu. Shu whirls back and flings three small knives at the airy cloth. The leader dodges two but gets hit by the last, as he slams down to the floor. Shu sighed in deeply as he steadily gets up. The leader hissed, "Why you…" The two behind his arose as they reached for their guns.

Suddenly several shots were heard from behind, as it hit the floor next to them. Shante appeared with her hands raised towards them with Shu's machine gun. The three nodded as they unleashed gaseous bombs on the floor to make their exit. Shu and Shante coughed from the dire smell that was left from their disappearance. Shante walked forward, still coughing a little, "Shu?"

"I'm here, Shante." Shu appeared amidst the smoke, dusting himself off.

"What happened? Are you injured?" Shante cautiously walked forward.

"Barely," Shu raised an eyebrow, as he tilted his head, "Shante, I didn't know you knew how to use my gun..."

"Oh," Shante peered over at the machine gun that she was holding tightly, "I…uh…don't actually."

Alarmed, Shu took a step back. "You don't?" Before Shante could answer, Shu portentously walked forward, cautiously raising his hand up, "Actually, before you answer, why don't you give that gun to me first?"

"Good idea, it was getting quite heavy." As she gave the gun to Shu, she sighed and stretched her arms. "It seemed to be the only weapon for the moment. I thought you may need it."

Shu cautiously looked around. Shante peered into his face, marked with pure mystery. "Shu…what's the matter? Who were those people just now?"

"I didn't know that I would meet them again. After all those years, I thought by now they would have brought an end to their cultish faction." Shu's eyes seemed to faintly show signs of worry and wonder. Shu carried his gun upon his back. Looking back at Shante, he softly spoke, "There's much to me that you still don't know, Shante…"

"There are many things we all don't know about one another. Some more than others…I know it's hard to open up."

"It's not that. Knowledge of my past will certainly put your life in danger. It has already taken the lives of those close to me. They are not common assassins or group of trained soldiers. I know their hideous ways inside out. With one link, they trail down through every corner to take the lives of all those connected." Shu turned away, as Shante looked upon the floor, understanding Shu's complicated state.

Trailing through the snowy path, Lieza reaches closer to the Chimera Research Lab. Through the Great Disaster, the mountain snow has melted tremendously, causing Lieza's mire path to be ever difficult to cross. She sighed in deeply as her breath was visible in the cold night. Finally reaching the entrance, Lieza carefully peered. Expecting the place to be deserted and completely darkened, she was surprised to find a brightened path through the cave. Lieza quietly stepped in, making sure her footsteps aren't audible. Recognizing the way through each corridor, she examined each room. Though the place was a little lit, and even the machinery seemed to work well. Finally as she was about to leave, a strange room caught her attention. It was different from the other rooms, for the door seemed much larger, and colored slightly lighter tone, as it was burgundy. Drawing closer to it, she suddenly stopped as she heard voices from within. Sounds of water caught her ear. The voices inside were quite muffled, so she quietly entered the room. Luckily the door did not catch anyone's attention, as Lieza quickly hid behind a large crate. The room was fully lit, yet it seemed undeveloped, or recently built. A large window to the outside snow could be seen from the far corner, which was the cause of the sound of water dripping in. Two men dressed in strange red cloaks spoke with one another, while few others chained up the few chimeras left in this snowy mountain path.

"Are we finished uploading them?" One of them roughly spoke, while the rest nodded. "Good…and the animals?"

"Ready to go."

"Excellent, then this place is no use to us now. We've extracted all the information needed. Let us return to Millmana." Hearing all they've said, Lieza decided she should find which crates held the livestock of her townsmen. The crates were settled on top of one another on a slope of the room. As she began to swiftly move from side to side, trying her best to be concealed in the shadows, she felt her leg suddenly slip from the puddle that was formed from the dripping water. Shocked, she gasped as she tumbled down the slant of the room and landed in front of the two men. The men whirled around, surprised by the sound. "What in the---!"

"It's an intruder!" Lieza looked up as the two men stood before her, their faces covered. A cunning grin was upon one of them as he spoke, "A pretty intruder, yes."

The one standing next to him, reached for his gun, but was stopped. He looked, confused while the other spoke, "No need to put blood on our hands. Besides," He motioned to the others standing next to the crates, as they proceeded to opening some, "they will be hungry on their way there. We might as well feed their hunger."

As the two men walked aside, two red skeletons and two great dragons have appeared before Lieza. The chimeras dangerously drew closer to Lieza, as she stood up. She, however, calmly reached out her hands and spoke, using her ability to speak with the beasts, "Stop! There is a misunderstanding. Untamed or not, I know you can understand what I am saying to you. I am not your enemy. If you have an enemy, it is these men who have captured you!"

The monsters eyes seemed to clearly understand what she was saying, but their motives didn't change as they kept walking forward. Lieza took a few steps back as she was shocked by their strange behavior. The men around her laughed in amusement of her chance to calm the beasts. "Impressive effort…Now I see, you must be the other one noted on the records, the other beasttalker. Unfortunately for you, you were one step too late."

The man moved his head towards the right, motioning Lieza to take a glance. Lieza looks and with wide eyes, her hand reaches her mouth in shock. A man turned the corner with an elderly woman tied up and held by his grip. The woman looked up, recognizing Lieza's face. "Mo- Mother Claire!"

"Lieza…oh dear."

The man chuckled as he spoke, "Fortunately for us, we were able to utilize her skills to manipulate these creatures. They listen to only our orders," The man turned around as they began to coldly walk away, "Now with all said and done…kill her…"

The two red skeletons rushed in, but Lieza was ready. She reached her belt and pulled her Scorpion Tail whip loose. Causing a swift crackle, Lieza held the soft edge of her whip with one of her hand. One of the Great Dragon swooped in to gnash her with its enormous jaws. She ducked and rolled away from it. She swung the whip to her side, as it grabbed onto a nearby stool. Using all her might, she threw the stool towards the beast, as it was fully hit. A red skeleton jumped towards her side. Lieza quickly snapped her whip to stiffen as she blocked the skeleton's sword. Realizing that the skeleton's strength is much superior to hers, she quickly kicked it away. Letting her whip loose, she grabbed its leg and pulled. As the skeleton fell, the two dragons rushed in above it. The last skeleton rushed in from her behind. She jumped and spun around, consecutively hitting all three. (Note to gamers: it's her _Spinster_ move.) Falling away, the beast snarled. Landing on her feet, Lieza was surprised as the skeleton that she tripped grabbed her from behind. Falling on the floor, Lieza dropped her whip, as the other Skeleton quickly got up and kicked it away. Lieza struggled to get free, but with the beasts drawing in towards her, she knew her time was limited. She shut her eyes and with all her might called out, "Earthquake!"

The men whirled around, curious that she was lasting for so long in the battle. The men brought their capes over their faces to cover them from the sudden debris that resulted from the attack. The ground trembled and enormous gazers shot up from the ground hitting her opponents. Luckily, she quickly rolled away from the scene. As the dust fluttered about, she saw the shadows of skeletons' bodies dissembled upon the floor and the dragons lifeless. Lieza got up, breathless and flung her long hair aside from her shoulder. As she spotted her weapon and reached out to get it, a sudden bullet hit her arm. She cringed from the sudden burn as she grabbed her arm and backed up. With the debris finally settling down, she spotted the man, holding a pistol and continuing to aim at her. "You are a greater nuisance than you appear. We've considered sparing your pathetic life, but," the man looked back, motioning the others to take Mother Claire away, "One beasttalker is enough for our plans to succeed."

Mother Claire was dragged away with the other men rushing into the darker corridors. Still huffing and puffing, Lieza looked about yet to no avail. There was no escape in her current situation for she was cornered. Her strength has strangely depleted due to her last powers cast upon the chimeras. She was still heavily breathing from her lost of power. Though she wished she could conjure up another skill, she didn't think she could even cure the minor injury on her arm. The man walked forward, still holding his aim. Suddenly the window from the corner burst, catching everyone off guard. The dust and snow mixture flooded the premise, clouding everyone's view. Lieza took this chance, as she quickly dashed away. "Damn you!"

The man began to shoot mercilessly towards Lieza who ducked and ran behind all the machinery to interfere with his attack. The man sneered as he ran along side the crates. The debris caused panic to take over. The rest of the party quickly dashed towards the corridors, avoiding the hazy scene. The debris started to settle slightly and Lieza rolled forward to grab her whip. Just as she turned around, however, the man was before her, holding the pistol at her head. She gasped as he was ready to make his shot. Lieza suddenly spotted a pair of red eyes glistening from her peripheral perspective. She turned away as a large doglike beast grabbed unto the man's arm with his jaws.

"Paundit!" Lieza immediately recognized her furry friend, as it continued to growl and tear away at the enemy's arm. She realized Paundit must have broken through the window and camouflaged through all the snow and debris.

The man struggled with Paundit, as it tore away at his red cape. Shot were randomly being made to the upper lamps, crates, and ceiling to drive the beast away. Paundit quickly darted away and boldly growled. The man threw shurikens towards Paundit, as he jumped away unto the crates. He quickly resumed to getting his gun reloaded, but a quick slash from the whip knocked the pistol from his hand. Paundit grabbed the dropped gun and rushed to Lieza side. Lieza held her stiffened whip against the man's face. The man grabbed his wounded arm, brutally marred from Paundit's powerful jaws, as he cursed under his breath. Yet two other men returned to assist their struggling comrade and started shooting towards them. Lieza and Paundit quickly jumped away. The snow upon the floor began to already melt as the place began to slightly flood. Lieza knew she and Paundit could not last an attack from all of them. Jumping upon the crates higher up, she noticed that the ceiling above them was weakening. It must be since the place is so underdeveloped that they could not properly set up the foundations. Paundit rushed in from side to side, distracting the men from aiming at Lieza. Lieza took this chance and with her whip she grabbed unto a lamp that flickered on and off and barely hanging. Apparently the lamp was hit several times from the man's unintended shots. With all her might she pulled on the lamp as it was broken from its ripped cording and flung unto the floor. The crash caused the lamp to burst from the impact, as electrical surge purged the wet area. The men quickly rushed away from the scene, for the base above and below them were completely severed.

"Paundit, hurry!" Lieza began to rush towards the broken window, hopping on the crates to draw closer to the window. Paundit immediately followed after his master's voice, quickly reaching her side. Paundit went out the window before her, as she struggled to pull herself over. Paundit grabbed her clothing and pulled her towards him. As she returned to the snowy setting, Lieza and Paundit rushed away from the scene.

On the other hand, in a land far hotter and dryer of nature, Kukuru walked through the desert of Alatos, letting the turquoise shawls upon her shoulder shield her face from the harsh desert winds. Upon reaching Chongara's shop, Kukuru smiled, thinking of the first time Arc and his friends met the strange tradesmen. Seeing that no one was presently in the area, she decided to go back. As she was exiting the shop, she looked towards the mountains. Though the place resembled only dunes of sands, Kukuru admired how through the Great Disaster, nature still stood its ground. As the winds trailed through the sands below her, she stopped as she felt a familiar presence. She stopped as she looked further on through the dunes, there she saw the Forbidden Ruins, the place where they first met Choko and also battled to recover her memories. Though the ruins remained the same way as they left it, a strange pulsating energy surged from it. She walked towards it, but abruptly stopped and hid. Two familiar men stood before the ruins, wearing large red capes and hiding their faces. They nodded towards one another and began to examine the area. As Kukuru wondered what brought them to Alatos, and even pondering whether they were still after her, she noticed three more men walking out the ruins with all types of chimeras chained up. Drawing away from the exit, the men spoke to one another. "Will this be enough?"

"Our device will make up for the rest of them. We just need to get specific kinds for our project to succeed."

"Agreed. Where to?"

"Send them to Millmana and the rest of us must return to Seirya. An excess of Chimeras have appeared close to the Sacred White Clan." Kukuru's eyes grew wide as she grew fearful for her village. The other continued to softly speak, "I don't think the clan could hold for much longer. Over half of the people wiped out during the Great Disaster. Not to mention the strange illness that began to spread like wildfire."

'What…' Kukuru could not believe all that she has heard about her village. A sudden sadness took over. She closely watched their actions as they walked silently along the desert sands. "Yes. I've personally asked our master for some support. After all, we were a part of them once…" Kukuru stayed hidden and shocked by all that she's heard. She realized she could not stay in the desert anymore.

"Come, let us head to the skyport." The familiar strangers in red began to move quickly away from the Forbidden Ruins. Realizing she was far out of their view, she rose from where she hid. Looking over the mountains of sand, she began to greatly fear for her people. As worry began to cloud her thoughts, she decided to return back to her people, back to her home.

Lieza slowly walked forward, through the snow. Paundit sniffled through the ground, guiding Lieza's path. She was breathing heavily. Paundit looked back as he noticed her steps began to slow down. Lieza fell to the floor on her knees, as Paundit walked over to her. He whimpered as he licked her hands to encourage her. She sighed as she pet her friend. "Thank you, Paundit. I would not be here if you did not come in that moment."

Paundit softly whimpered and nuzzled under Lieza's arm. "I'll be okay…I just need to catch my breath," Lieza looked over her wound. "They took Mother Claire, Paundit. We have to save her. They will use her to control the Chimeras. What could they be planning? I don't even know…"

Lieza shut her eyes, trying her hardest to think of what to do. Not having a leader made a significant difference in all her decisions. Paundit looked deeply at her, as Lieza pondered, "They're heading for Millmana. If we find a ride there, we can meet Shania and Diekbeck. With their help, we can surely devise a way to rescue Mother Claire."

Lieza opened her eyes and got up, dusting the dirt from her long skirt that was slightly torn from all the previous battle. "Paundit, let's go to Millmana."

Shu and Shante sat quietly near the waters right by Indigos. The evening dismally set upon the city. Lights drew to darkness, and the hopes of tomorrow rested for the night. Shu started at Shante, who also looked towards him. "Okami…what does that mean?"

"It means _wolf_. The group began first by members of the Sacred White Clan and the army of Palencia."

"Sacred White Clan…Wait, isn't that---?" Shu nodded towards her, understanding from where her questions came.

"Yes, it's the people that Kukuru came from. And Palencia is where Arc is from. The group was formed for the sole purpose of personal protection for the King and the royal family. With a righteous cause, the secretive assembly worked for the good of Seirya. They were barely visible to the civilians. Year by year and with every new King on the throne, the force grew more powerful."

"What- What could have gone wrong?"

"Their forces grew so strong and large, that within their faction they've lost all concept of unity. Their one ideal split into two, and within themselves, they began to compete to obtain the favor of the King. The king himself was oblivious of the inner rivalry brewing within. One side sought to only protect and fulfill their duty, and the other with their unending appetite for power only used the King to their advantage of rising on the power ladder. Respectively, the two sides were known as Sun Okami and Blood Okami. The king on the throne during that time was the father of the recently assassinated king."

"Then it would be Arc's grandfather…Yoshua's father…"

"Yes. He was different from many kings, as he was stern, steadfast and holding onto rigid traditions of the past. The Blood Okami noticed that the King preferred the Sun Okami's ways. Soon enough, they've devised a plan to foil the leader of the Sun Okami. Poisoning the King, the blame was placed upon the Sun. It was not enough for the Blood Okami to kill off Sun's leader. They went about massacring all who was on side of Sun Okami with the exception to those who put their loyalty on the Blood Okami."

"That's…horrible." Shu turned away and looked to the floor, "So, you could guess what happened to me."

"Are you the only survivor from the Sun Okami?" Shante's eyes returned a concerned stare as Shu sighed, "Even though there are survivors, we can do nothing for one another."

Shu got up and gave his hand to Shante, who stared in a confused way. His chin was covered by his long shawl, but his amused eyes didn't hide his thoughts, "Did that satisfy all your curiosities? I'm starting to worry how long you will last now."

Shante laughed as she received his hand and got up, "Well, good sir," Shante gladly looked back into his eyes, "You have the honor of protecting my life, since you so gladly put it in jeopardy."

"Hmph…the pleasure is all mine." Shu faintly grumbled, as Shante giggled at his reaction. They both began to walk back to the apartment. Arriving near the door, though the other buildings seem to be lit ever slightly, the apartment itself was pitch dark. Shante softly wonder, "Perhaps, the apartment lost power?"

Stepping into the cold lobby, they heard no sound, and the place seemed lifeless. Shu carefully watched his steps but began to sense a strange aura around them. Recognizing the essence, he turned around, "Shante!"

Suddenly the apartment was lit up, which blinded Shu and Shante for a moment. They looked around as they were completely surrounded by the members of the Blood Okami. Seeing an unconscious Lado in the corner, Shu and Shante, back to back, got into a defensive stance. The same leader of the group spoke up from the corner, "We've long been expecting you, stranger…or should I say… Shu."

Shu coldy stared at him, "So you've found me out…Kramer."

"Yes. It was hard to recognize you after all those years. We've hoped you would have perished throughout the past days."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kramer, but I can't die so easily..." The entire group drew closer towards them, as Shante gave a nervous look towards Shu. The leader noticed her presence, "Of course, we did notice your persistent endurance against the recent attack. On the other hand, we have no intention of ripping out your heart ourselves. We leave that honor and pleasure to our Master…Clive…"

Shu raised an angry glance, "Clive! He is your master now?"

"Unfortunately, for your friend here, I can't ensure you of her safety." Shu stood protectively in front of Shante, who was quiet surprised, "Leave her out of it. It's always been between the Sun and Blood."

Kramer grinned as he boldly walked towards Shu, "Not quite, Shu. Not anymore. Not since Arc started his little conquest to strike the Dark One and she and you've been a part of it. After all," he chuckled as he gave an amused glance towards Shu, "The Sun Okami is no more…"

Shu held a fist as he angrily pushed forwards to strike Kramer. Kramer simply dodged it and grabbed the fist. "How the days turned your young heart dark…One might even think you were part of us."

"Don't degrade me to your level." Shu kicked Kramer on the stomach, as he whirled around to give another kick, but the two that attacked him with Kramer before blocked his kick and punched him. Shu fell to the floor, as Shante stood next to him. "Follow us, quietly, so we can spare you at least the pain of recollecting your miserable escape long ago."

Shu bitterly looked up, "You fail to remember the teachings. You always did underestimate your opponents."

"We shall see. Get them!" As though a large swarm of red clouds hovered over them, Shu and Shante immediately split up from where they were in the center. Shu whirled around and struck three of them with his knives, as they were hit on places that were barely fatal. Shu and Shante nodded towards one another, realizing they were outnumbered. Shante kicked the man behind her as she raised her hand to conjure up her powers, "Diamond Dust!"

At the same moment, Shu concentrated his strength, "Wind Slash!" Strangely, nothing has happened and even Shu noticed, as he turned around to face her. "Our powers…!"

Shante shocked by what happened was thrown to the floor by explosives thrown to the ground near her. She winced as she realized a great wound was on her leg. Seeing a pretty large metal pole next to her, she grabbed it and spun it around, striking the men before her. Shu rushed away from the explosives as he jumped and hurled a kick towards the person. Kramer smirked as he thrust out his large sword and dashed towards Shu. Shu on the other hand, quickly dodged the quick slashes. Shante noticed Shu's disadvantage, called out his name and threw the pole towards him, as he thankfully grabbed it and blocked Kramer's attack. Kramer whirled around and hit the back of Shu's leg, causing him to fall. Shu quickly rolled back and grabbed his pole and struck Kramer's face, causing his hood to fall back, revealing his face. Kramer angrily glared back at Shu, as Shu noticed the familiar gleam of his azure eyes. Kramer's fair appearance was a great contrast to Shu's dark facial expressions. He appeared to be only few years older than Shu, with a strange scar next to his eyes and above the prominent cheek bones. Shante was halted from her attacks, as the men threw paralysis darts. Getting hit, Shante fell to floor, feeling the sudden effects take over her body. Shu and Kramer continued their brief dual, which was stopped by the rest of the legion of Blood Okami members, pinning Shu down. Shu struggled as he scowled. Shante was thrown besides him, as Shu gave her a worried glance. Kramer walked towards Shu, lifting up his chin firmly with the blunt side of his blade.

"Do not blame me for your disposition. You've brought this upon yourself." With this Kramer abruptly turned around and walked away from them. Shu and Shante was lifted up and taken away. Kramer turned towards one of the members, "It's time to return to Millmana."

"Were we not planning on returning to Seirya with him?"

"We need not beckon the reaper when he's outside the door. We must return to Millmana and finish what we've started here first. It will not be too late to send them to Master Clive afterwards." Kramer sneered as he walked forward. Shu and Shante overheard his words, knowing now they were headed towards Millmana. Shu looked towards Shante, who returned a look that tried to reassure him, but Shu felt guilty he could not protect them both. With their powers completely gone, they began to ponder what would become of them. Though they feared there may be no escape, they knew only time will tell for them both.

To the Reviewers: Thank you once again for all that you've said! Please continue to read and review to your hearts' content. I'm so blessed by God through you all. God Bless you!


	5. Undesired Secrets

Disclaimer:

"**Arc the Lad**" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.

Undesired Secrets

Walking through the dark alleys of the ruins of Millmana, Shania, Roan and Diekbeck searched for ways to restore their broken city. Day by day, people have grown hopeful as they saw the slow reconstruction of the Headquarters. With more people arriving into the region through the Millmana Skyport, Shania was eager to get all the help she could find. Diekbeck clanged around in his miniature body form, also assisting the people around with the construction. Roan looked at Shania, who with some of the citizens started slowly laying foundations together. Sheepishly walking over, Roan coughed to clear his throat. Watching her work day and night simply did not seem fit for Roan, since she was still royalty to him. Roan also watched day and night the works of the two strangers Prince Clive left behind for them. He was not certain whether their actions could be trusted. He grew more suspicious of them and tried every chance to tell his findings to Shania.

"Um…your highness…"

"Roan, how many times must I tell you, you can address me by my name now?"

"Oh yes, of course. Shania, I've got some disturbing news to offer you."

"What is it, Roan?" Shania didn't turn around, as she was still working with her own hands to truly restore what was left of her family's home. Looking down, Roan seemed to roll his last thoughts together to properly express himself. "Well, I've been watching the steady actions of our two new guests from Prince Clive, and I've found something strange about their behavior. Daily they stand outside of the city, fending off Chimeras that draw towards the city."

"They are well trained soldiers. They protect the people from being attacked by the remaining Chimeras around the world. As much as I wish I didn't have to say this, I'm glad that Clive—I mean, Prince Clive offered to help us through them."

"Oh yes, but…Though they fend off the creatures, they do not kill them…"

"What do you mean? You mean they let them escape?"

"Actually, your highness---Oh! I mean, Shania! They don't let them run off either. Instead, they cap-capture them." Shania turned around to stare at him in confusion. She stopped her work, as she walked closer to Roan. "Capture them? What for? What would they want with such vicious creatures?"

"It is beyond me to comprehend their actions, Shania. Yet, I feel with the deepest certainty that they are up to no good…"

"They do seem like suspicious characters, I will admit. I will see where they take those creatures. Roan, stay here with Diekbeck."

"Oh no! Your majesty, it's much too dangerous for you alone!" With this Roan blocked her path, as Shania seemed a little irritated by his sudden objection to her actions. Yet Diekbeck also trotted over and stood next to Roan. "Shania, I will go with you. I can be of assistance, in case, anything happens."

Shania stood in thought, as she pondered what would be the best course of action. Roan hastily added to Diekbeck's suggestion, "Yes, Yes! Take Diekbeck! He can certainly help you!"

She nodded towards Diekbeck as she said, "Let us all go there right now then."

"Yes, your high-I mean, Shania." Roan scratched his head for he was still fearful of what is to come. Shania simply grabbed her belongings, following after Diekbeck, who walked ahead of them. Arriving near Ajarl, where they resided for some time, Shania examined the entrance to see whether the two red cloaked strangers were there. Diekbeck also began to search around. Roan coughed uncomfortably, attaining their attention. "It appears they are not here, Shania."

"Do you know where they could be, Roan?" She said, still looking about the area.

"Well, I did follow them to some extent. Yet afraid of being discovered, I've stopped my search and returned to Ajarl." Roan took his glasses off, nervously wiping the lenses.

"How far did they go?"

"They were headed towards the Razen Pond. It's was covered with so much fog that I could not even see what was before me." He put his glasses back on, covering his timid eyes.

"Not to worry, I will be able to scan the area. My scope of vision will be able to prevent us from walking on dangerous grounds." Diekbeck confidently responded, already heading towards the Razen Pond.

"Let us hope so. Come on, Roan." Shania followed after Diekbeck's lead, as Roan apprehensively followed behind. Walking along a swampy path on the left side of Ajarl city, Shania held onto Roan, who did the same for fear of falling. Drawing near the mountains, the air about them thickened, clouding their view. The moisture in the air seemed to gather together, causing the humidity to rise in the area. Shania did not enjoy trudging through the damp path, and it appeared they seemed to arrive past the Razen Pond. Shania stopped and gathered her hair, tying it up so that it would not fall unto her face. There were no signs of Chimeras anywhere, and through his visual scopes, Diekbeck didn't find anything suspicious around them.

"This is a little troublesome. There seems to be no other way around here without falling unto the deeper side of the waters." Diekbeck turned around to face Shania and Roan, who were right behind him. Shania looked concerned and a bit disappointed, as she turned towards Roan, "Roooaaan…are you sure they came this way!"

"I-I-I was certain they did." Shania crossed her arms, as she skeptically looked at Roan, who flustered and panicked. Shania was ready to speak her mind, but stopped when Diekbeck became alert. Suddenly from the corner of her eyes, she saw a shade of red within the fog, hearing a deep voice say, "Be kind to your friend, princess. He speaks the truth."

Shania whirled around to face them. The fog began to clear, as the two strangers they've been searching for stood before them. Shania and Roan looked around them, noticing the fog faintly covering the line of more men that slowly approached them. The waters below them reflected the crimson color of their coat, as though they stood above a pool of blood. The fog carried the scarlet color of their clothing in the air. As they softly came towards them, their appearance grew clearer, letting the fog trail behind them. A startling coldness took hold of Shania, as she could not find one man's feet touching the water. Instead their large cloaks and bodies therein hovered over the misty pond. With their dark faces hidden behind the massive cloth, Shania felt her breath stop and a disturbing apprehension trail down her back. Or was it the humid environment that seemed to trick her into feeling her sweat dry cold? Shania could not tell, for she was fearful of what these men were capable of. Holding large chains in their hands, they ominously glided towards them without rippling the water. The long metallic chains trailed in the waters below them, traveling across the waters. Diekbeck stood his ground, as Roan timidly hid behind Shania. Shania reached for her cards. "Hand over the machine, your highness, and we shall see that you are escorted safely back to Ajarl. We take no pleasure in hurting those weaker than us."

"How dare you mock us! Where have you taken the Chimeras, what are you planning to do with them!"

"Why so quick to walk into your doom? But if you so wish to meet the chimeras…then chimeras you will meet." Suddenly the men raised their chains from the water, revealing the large venom flies they were keeping under control within the water. They unlocked the chains, letting the venom flies run free, hungrily dashing towards Shania, Roan, and Diekbeck. Shania quickly flung her cards towards them, hitting the two that flew towards them. The other three flies trailed behind them. Shania dodged their incoming sting attack, as Diekbeck used Power Unit No. 08: Tornado. The fog and the winds collectively gathered together near the center, causing the water to churn. The flies were caught up in the storm and ultimately crashed unto the trees rooted in the waters. Shania turned towards the men, as she boldly declared, "You won't get your hands on Diekbeck so easily!"

"Hmph. We always did crave a good challenge." The man motioned towards the others who flung their chains towards Shania. Opening her mouth to gasp, Shania jumped back to avoid the set of chains that flew towards her. Nevertheless, one wrapped around her leg. He pulled in, as Shania gave a little scream before she plummeted into the murky red waters. Diekbeck quickly moved towards the area where she fell, "Shania!"

"Your Highness!" Roan squealed in horror. The rest of the men surrounded Roan and Diekbeck. Roan glanced around nervously, as he tried to pick up a stiff branch to defend himself. Diekbeck rushed to Roan's side, strongly pushing away the men with his metallic arms. Diekbeck charged himself, glowing red and riskily increasing his temperature. Shania gasped, as she rose to the surface with the chain still tied to her foot. The man forced her to fall back under the surface, as he dangerously yanked the chain. The man grinned as he saw the blurry image of her body falling deeper into the water. He hauled the chain once more to finish his tasks. Yet he was shocked as the chain simply flung out of the water without the victim. Angrily tossing the chain away, he looked below him, as suddenly Shania's hand grabbed his afloat foot. He struggled to keep himself afloat, but she threw her other hand out of the water, with all her cards critically positioned in her hands, shouting, "Shuffle Shot!"

All the cards seemed to multiply on its own, as thousands of cards cut through the man's ghastly crimson cape. The man fell into the water while Shania quickly turned back to see Diekbeck and Roan's state. Hearing their comrade fall, the others in red headed to attack Shania. Realizing their defeat was soon to happen, she shouted, "Diekbeck, take Roan and get away from here now!"

"But-!" Diekbeck, however, knew more than Shania that their chances at escaping all together were close to nothing. Shania jumped unto stable ground and got her cards ready. Her opponents positioned themselves around her and one plunged to kick her. Finding a breakthrough, Diekbeck complied with her request. He grabbed Roan and dashed away from the scarlet panorama. Roan was stunned and angry at Diekbeck for actually leaving Shania behind. "Are you crazy? No- Nuh-uh! We're not leaving without Shania!"

"We must! It is the only way!" Diekbeck increased his speed so quickly that Roan couldn't catch up, only let his legs feel the ground once in a while to attempt to run on their own.

"You mad machine! Let me go at once!" Yet they were farther away from the scenery than the others expected. Though the men started their pursuit, they eventually stopped, realizing that if they weren't careful, they could get lost in the fog. Fortunately for Diekbeck, he has already scanned the area once and thus, knew exactly where to turn and run. Seeing that Diekbeck and Roan has escaped safely, Shania stopped attacking. Breathing heavily, she let her defenses down. The men stopped their attacks as well, as the man harshly spoke again, "Brave but foolish. Do you truly think your toy can escape our grasp? We will find it at one point or another." Looking to his side and speaking to the others, "Return to the city!"

"What of the princess?" One of them inquired.

"Take her away. Since she so wished to investigate about the Chimeras, why don't we show her the way to them." With this, a group of several men joined together and rushed away towards the city to find Diekbeck and Roan. He and the others pushed Shania towards the opposite direction, but she whirled around to face the city with a worried expression, praying deep inside that much good can result from this madness. She acutely looked to them and said, "Do not push me! I can walk on my own…"

Walking in between the two men, they gave her the personal space she needed. Away from the hazy view of the Razen Pond and Millmana, Kukuru finally arrives on the land of Seirya. Drawing near the hidden mountain paths between the Sabatico Shrine and the Palencia Castle, she drew near a path within the forest. Walking along the grassy earth and going the opposite direction from Touvil, she softly began to hear the faint familiar sound of water. It seemed so long since she's been back at her home. Being once contained inside the Sabatico Shrine, she had no chances to walk back into her village. Arriving at the entrance to her village, which was guarded by large wooden posts that were embedded with colorful stones, she stopped and examined the place. The once large wooden wall that surrounded and protected her village was torn apart, obviously due to the storms and perhaps other form of nature. The mosaic murals woven together by the women of the village that hung across the doors of the warm homes were upon the floor damp and disintegrating. Some houses seemed to not even exist any longer, as wooden planks were overturned and fallen trees lay upon standing homes. The once lush green homeland she remembered faded completely before her with one blink of her eyes. Broken and walking towards the center of the village, stopping near the village well, she stood over the small opening in the earth. She watched the reflection of the gray skies above her wrinkle in the water. She turned around, facing reality once more as the view seemed to reel about her. Few men cleared away the debris near the entrance and obviously near the well. Women dressed in light robes similar to what Kukuru was wearing but with different shades of yellow and red, looked after the children. Kukuru turned away and kept walking through the village, past the homes that belonged to her childhood friends, merchant stores, gardens that once held so much life.

"Why…if it isn't Kukuru!" Kukuru turned back, hearing a familiar voice from her past. The familiar villagers approached her while she couldn't help but put her head down in shame and sorrow. Nonetheless, her presence seemed to bring so much joy to the children and the mothers, who knew Kukuru since childhood. Holding her hands, they smiled at her. "You have finally come back! We've missed you so…"

"Yes…so did I…" Kukuru faintly returned them the smile and looked down at their warm hands. Yet, she stopped for she noticed their hands strangely marked with large dark spots around the fingers and near the wrists. The woman noticed Kukuru, who eyed her hands in shock, thus she quickly let go and hid her hands behind the apron across her waist. Kukuru looked at everyone else's hands, finding the strange marks not only on their hands but even on faces, on arms, on legs, on practically all parts of their bodies. "What…what is going on? What has happened!"

They nervously glanced at one another, coughing uncomfortably and muttering words Kukuru could not decipher. Yet she stared into their faces, grabbing their arms and examining the deathly marks upon their bodies. All sort of fearful thoughts overtook her. She deeply stared into their faces, but they all avoided her earnest seeking. She grew impatient. Violently pushing them out of her way, she headed towards her home. She ran to the end of the village, towards the large pale house surrounded by a faint clear stream. Walking through the bridge that was crumbling on its side, she entered the gates to her home, seeing that the two large stony doors lay broken beneath her. Hearing her own steps upon the marble-like floor, she rushed over to her father's room. Several men and women who recognized her called out her name, but she ignored their cries. Her turquoise shawls trailed behind her as did her long lavender hair. She recognized her small home, though it was now laid to rest by the Great Disaster and the once ornate clothes that hung on the walls were lifeless upon the floor. The large candles that brightened the halls were along the floor near the walls. Opening the door to her father's room, she held her breath, finding the room ominously dark. Her eyes began to focus in the darkness, seeing one small candle lit in the corner. She could recall the fragrance of her father's room, but today every aspect of the room took her back to the day her mother passed away. Everything seemed to almost repeat before her, the way she ran through the green village at the young age of eight, ran across the bridge, open the stony doors, turn through the halls, and stand before the door of her father's room. Opening the door, she remembered the strange candle lit in the center, above her father's bed, and approaching the bed to only find her own mother's lifeless body still. The sudden memory slowly faded in front of her eyes, for she returned to the present, back in her original place before the room. Walking slowly in the darkness, she grew anxious, fearful, and unstable in her thoughts, as she held out her hand to grab hold someone. Her breathing became short and inconsistent as she could not feel anything, could not see anything even with the small light in the corner. She wished she could crumble unto the floor and let the numbness die away, yet a coarse voice was heard before her. "Kukuru…"

Kukuru felt as though her heart stop but with anticipation she followed the voice over to the bedside, recognizing it belonged to her father, Spirae. She could barely see his form, but his weak tone seemed to reveal his physical state all too well. She held his arm, reaching for his hand. He turned his head slightly, his stern face rough with some facial hair near his chin. "Father, what happened?"

"You saw the village…its condition…the people…" He spoke slowly with his usual strong voice now weakened to a hoarse whisper. "The plague has…struck every home…even children…The Great Disaster…let loose…the Dark One's evil dominion over this world…even for a moment…but even so, we did not back down. We used all of our powers gifted by the Guardians to impede the Dark One's attack over Seirya. We knew we couldn't protect the world, but we wanted to at least hold Seirya together. Yet…it was no use, the Dark One immediately attacked us and struck us with his powers of darkness, striking us with this plague that is utterly incurable…"

"No…it can't be. You don't mean, you…too…?" Kukuru grabbed the candle closer as she gasped, seeing the pallid spots cover her father's entire arm and neck. She dropped herself unto the floor and buried her head in the large blankets that covered the bed, as she moaned in anguish. She felt her heart tear up inside. She clutched her hands into a fist and angrily hit the floor. Spirae looked at his daughter, defeated and bitterly covering her face in self blame. His cold eyes began to soften, as he felt her pain reach his heart. Spirae was a headstrong man, but well respected in the village for his solid leadership. He rarely revealed his emotions before people. He has been known for his cold stares ever since his youth, and thus people have already learned to fear him and follow his authority. His strong sense of justice and connection to the guardians kept him always too busy for his daughter, as she began to grow up stubborn and even tomboyish. Yet he let her maidservants take care of her as well as his very own assistant, Seon, to look after her needs. He has never been the father that Kukuru needed for emotional support. She was much like him, rarely expressing her affections for the people she loved and admired. Thus, Spirae began to understand just how crushed her heart was before him. "Kukuru…Look at me…"

Gradually turning her face towards her father, Spirae examined her closely with an emotionless face. Though it was quite dark around her, perhaps it was a parent's intuition that revealed to Spirae her face has grown paler and held a look of much hurt and torment. Kukuru held his aged hands. She traced her hand through his arm, and even looking unto the scars that dangerously reached his face. Her father solemnly began to speak, not revealing to her his worry about her strange change in spirit, "Clive…has returned…to the throne…"

Kukuru's eyes grew wide, as she withdrew her warm hands from his, "Clive? He was…alive?"

"The alliance between Palencia and the Sacred White Clan grows weak…His men have occasionally come by…yet, we are at a grave disadvantage…with the number of our people decreased...we will find no way to restore our position again without their help…yet…their sudden coldness..."

Her father looked away towards the ceiling, as he closed his eyes. He breathed heavily in and out. Kukuru began to realize just how burdened her father was. With her entire village powerless next to a rising kingdom, she understood where her father's worries sprung from. Palencia and the Sacred White Clan have always stood on stable grounds in their negotiations, yet they are now put into a place where they could be wiped out completely. Kukuru did not want to lose her people, the land they lived upon, nor their culture and values, and especially their continual trust with Palencia. She felt as though all her mistakes have piled upon her, as though all of the consequences have burdened not her directly but all those she cared for. Perhaps the time has come for Kukuru to take up the role that she was born to take. Too much was at stake for her people to worry about her own happiness, for her own plans. "Rest, father…and think of this matter no more..."

Kukuru got up and walked out of the room. With a steadfast face, she crossed the bridge. She stopped, however, when she heard the flow of water that surrounded her house. She followed the stream, as it trailed all the way back behind her humble home and unto a separate part of the village. The stream was connected to a small waterfall that sprung from the mountains that stood defensively behind the village a distance away. She stood in thought, recalling her days in the village when she was fifteen years old. She was being taught by her maidservants the principles and traditions of her village. Sitting upon a large rock, close to the waterfalls, the young Kukuru yawned as all the words seemed to pass her mind from one ear to the next. Her long lavender hair was braided and upon her left shoulder with a scarlet ribbon. As her maidservants read aloud from the books held in their hands, Kukuru peered into the waters. She smiled as she saw the clear stream mirror the stunning colors of the pebbles that surrounded the premise.

"Kukuru-sama! (A term for respect.)" Kukuru almost jumped as she turned to face them. Their eyes glared at their little stubborn priestess, as they boldly stated, "You must be attentive to the teachings. We can't delay this any further! We've already been here for hours!"

At the entrance of the village, two horsemen approached the area. The villagers lifted their heads and tried to recognize the strangers. Seon, the village commander and Spirae's close friend, recognized them immediately and approached them, respectfully bowing. "Prince Clive, Prime Minister Andel, what brings you to the Sacred White Clan at this early hour?"

Prime Minister Andel looked about the village, smoothing his youthful black beard. "I've only accompanied young Prince Clive. Being already eighteen years old, it seems he's quite interested in taking up his role as the heir to the throne."

"My my, that is wise of you, my prince. The chief would be most pleased. Come, I shall escort you." Seon walked towards the streams with Prince Clive upon his horse, as Andel waited inside the village, for it was appropriate for only royalty to meet the leader of the village. Prince Clive peered at Seon and spoke, "I've heard the young priestess grows to be fairer with every year."

Seon looked back at Clive, as he smiled, "Yes, her beauty truly resembles her mother very much." Suddenly a sweet laughter from the behind the house caught both of their attention. Seon smiled and spoke again, "She seems to be in the middle of morning lessons at this point."

The young Clive mischievously grinned, as he jerked his horse away from the path and headed towards the streams. Seon, confused, followed after Clive but was surprised to see that Clive headed to see Kukuru. Quickly approaching Clive's side, he inquired, "Do you intend on meeting her? That can't be so. Do you not know that it is the tradition of both Palencia and the Sacred White Clan to not meet until the appointed day when Kukuru is officially the priestess of the village, and you're—"

"—Officially enthroned? I always thought some traditions were meant to be broken. Let us say, it's our little secret." He chuckled and quickly headed off. Seon looked somewhat worried, watching Clive turn and disappear around the corner. In the meantime, Kukuru splashed the clear waters upon her maidservants, as they playfully laughed and rushed away from the cold spray. The ladies stopped to catch their breath as Kukuru proudly folded her arms together, replaying all the lessons she learned this morning in words. Her maidservants were stunned with their mouths open while Kukuru continued with perfect accuracy, remembering every word spoken to her. She finally stopped, smugly putting her hands on each side of her body, "So there, is that good enough for you?"

"Well said indeed..." Kukuru and the maidservants turned around and yelped from the sudden appearance of Clive. Kukuru eyed him suspiciously for she did not recognize him from anywhere, yet her maidservants, who were much older than she, recognized him immediately. They rushed forward and stood in front of Kukuru, who returned their nervous glances with stares of confusion. They looked up at Clive and bowed with respect, except for Kukuru, who looked a little irritated for not clearly knowing the situation. "Pri-Prince Clive…it is a surprise to see you here…"

"Prince? Prince Clive?" Kukuru did not recognize the name or the status. Her face still held a contemplative but equally unpleasant stare, as she was impatiently waiting for an explanation. Prince Clive confidently grinned and tried to ride closer to stand next to her side, wanting to speak with her on a personal level, but her maidservants instantly stood before his horse, in between him and Kukuru. Clive eyed them with clear annoyance, "What is it?"

"Young prince, you should know that it is not fit for you to meet Kukuru-sama until the appointed time and place. We ask you to leave."

"Stand aside." Kukuru firmly spoke. Her maidservants turned around with a troubled look, as they tried to object, but Kukuru walked before them. She stood in front of Clive, who seemed quite pleased. "It seems we share the same thought. So we finally meet. As rumors say, you are…beautiful."

"Is that why you've come, to see if such rumors are true?" Kukuru looked with clear displeasure at him, for she was rarely attracted to people with such confidence and smug grin. Clive chuckled, finding Kukuru's fiery attitude to be quite amusing. "Well, it simply proves we have more in common than I expected. After all, we live in entirely different provinces, you in this small village, and I in a silver palace."

"For a future ruler of a kingdom, I did not expect you to be so shallow." Kukuru raised an eyebrow at him. Her maidservants gasped, witnessing her rude behavior. Clive seemed completely unaffected by her harsh words, as he merely drew his horse closer to the waters for it to drink. She had to admit, however, he was handsome, at least more attractive than the men she normally meets. His thin silver bangs, brought out the color of his golden eyes. His short spiky hair glistened as the sun shimmered upon the clear streams. By the looks of his clothing, he appeared to be a hunter, perhaps even well trained with a sword, seeing that he had one fastened upon his belt. Clive grinned when he noticed Kukuru eyeing him. He patted the horse's neck and looked towards Kukuru, who blushed from being caught and quickly turned away. "And for a future priestess, I did not expect you to be so outspoken. Do not take it unkindly, I find it quite charming…"

Kukuru bit her under lip, finding his flirtatious ways uncomfortable to handle, "Are you mocking me?"

"Actually, I'm telling you the truth," he smiled. He turned his horse around and headed back towards the village, "Well then, till we meet again and hopefully, in a more joyous occasion…"

He trotted away, as Kukuru's maidservants sighed with relief that he has finally left the scene. Kukuru stared at him, while he was leaving. She abruptly turned towards her maidservants, who grabbed their belongings to return to the village, "What does he mean by _joyous occasion_?"

Her maidservants looked with alarm as they did not know how to answer her without completely disturbing the young girl, "Well, you see…it is the tradition of the clan for the Priestess to wed the Crown Prince of Palencia on the day he is ready to be enthroned…you see, we were going to announce it when you were more emotionally prepared—"

"You mean—we're engaged? Do you think I can marry such a pompous—"

"Kukuru-sama, you must not say such things! It is unfit. You must understand, this has been a tradition for many years. And besides, we're most certain you would be emotionally ready on that day. Prince Clive is a charming young man and a capable ruler..." The maidservants scolded her for her disrespect, but Kukuru seemed quite saddened and officially horrified of the news. She never had to argue about the petty issues of authority and of her role as the Priestess to protect the Fire on Mount Cion, but she started to gravely despise her own position in the matter concerning this marriage. She wished she could agree with her maidservants, who seemed to be more like her aunts and older siblings. She knew Prince Clive was attractive and quite competent to rule, but she could not shake the sudden aversion she felt towards him, as though she was able to take a glimpse within the bottom of his heart, only to find nothing to her liking. Kukuru took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, staring back at the waterfall, which did not flow as clearly as it had in her youth. She stopped recalling the strange events of her past and walked away from the area.

In Millmana, under the swampy facade of the Razen Pond, the Blood Okami, traveling from East Aldia, returned to their underground base. Hidden behind the mountain paths and underneath the mud and water, a large facility was built. The secret biolab contained cells of diverse chimeras, almost two of each kind from different regions across the world. As Shu and Shante passed them by, they looked with curiosity at the large machines that were positioned near the center, connected to every cell. Members of the Blood Okami, wearing their tradition red capes and hiding their own faces, quickly began to haul the monsters away from the crates. Their discipline was surprising, but frightening all the more. Shu and Shante's hands were fastened by a boxlike device and soon, they were thrown into a cell. Shu glared back towards them while Kramer stepped into the cell, looking at their sad state. "Once our job here is finished, we will head back to Seirya. Till then you could enjoy some quality time with your friend."

Shu spoke, "Kramer, what is Clive planning to do? If we are as good as dead, there is no harm in letting us know now, is there?"

"Hmph, do you know where this is, Shu? We are under the Razen Pond of Millmana. Of all the Chimera Labs found in this world, this one is probably the smallest and the most useful because it holds a new breed of monsters. Notice anything different about them?" Suddenly a Ghoul rushes in and stands before Shu, ready to attack. Shu did not expect this and tries to avoid it, as Shante gasps. "Shu!"

Yet before the Ghoul attacked, Kramer held his hand up. "Stop." The Ghoul turned around and looked back at Kramer, who simply nodded, "That's enough. Leave."

Shu and Shante looked with surprise and confusion for the chimera obeyed Kramer's commands without hesitation. Kramer looked happily towards them. "I see that you are quite pleased with the results."

Shu returned his reply, "A similar plan has already been done before. Your success will not last for long. Chimeras will eventually back fire and destroy you and all those involved."

"It doesn't matter. We do not intend on keeping them for long term…only for one session of massacre."

"M-Massacre!" Shu and Shante were alarmed, as they did not want to imagine what he meant by the word. Kramer turned and closed the door on them. Shu rushed towards the door, "Kramer! What do you mean by massacre! Exactly where?"

"I think I've shared enough secrets for one day." Kramer walked away as the door was locked before them. Shu turned away, unhappy with what Kramer has revealed to them. Shante got up as well with the device still holding her hands firmly together. She looked around the ceiling, hoping to find their way of escape, yet she could not find any, the walls about them were completely covered with no openings except for the door that had a barred window. Feeling discouraged, she sat back down on the floor, "There's no way out of here…"

Sitting beside Shante and leaning against the wall, Shu sighed, "We have little time, if we don't stop their plans here…we won't know what to expect."

On the surface, Roan and Diekbeck were running as fast as their feet could allow them. Diekbeck, being a machine, was much swifter. Roan stopped and wheezed to catch his breath. Diekbeck turned around and saw that the Blood Okami members were right on their tail. He grabbed Roan again and rushed away, turning the corners of broken buildings in Ajarl. Roan's eyes grew wide, however, when Diekbeck stopped abruptly, causing him to fall upon Diekbeck's hard metal back. Rubbing his chest from the minor pain, he angrily looked at Diekbeck. "Why did you stop?"

Roan looked to the side, seeing Diekbeck stare at the direction, and yelped for there were more men rushing towards them and behind them. Diekbeck ran through the thin corridor besides them as Roan furiously followed. Roan screamed slightly, hearing some misfired bullets hitting the walls besides them. Running through the corridors, the members of Blood Okami came to a stop for they were before a dead end. They lost tracks of them only for a moment. The others soon rushed the other way. Diekbeck abruptly stopped again, close to the entrance, causing Roan to almost fall upon Diekbeck again. "NOW why did you stop?"

"Get out of here, Roan. It's not you they want, it's me…"

"Wh-What? And leave you here?"

"At one point or another, we will both get caught."

"No-No! We won't get caught! We can go back to the headquarters and hide-"

"Roan, you must find Arc and the others. Find them and tell them everything! Quickly!" Diekbeck began to head towards the city, but Roan hesitated and grabbed unto Diekbeck. "No, Diekebeck! You can't go!"

"Roan! Stay calm," Roan let go of Diekbeck and nervously wiped the sweat off his forehead. Diekbeck continued, "Whether they get their hands on me or not, one thing is for certain…they have Shania. The others must be warned that something strange is going on…again. By this time, I calculate they be at Seirya."

Roan composed himself, as he took a deep breath in and out. Diekbeck cautiously looked about him and turned towards Roan. Roan nodded, "All right, Diekbeck. I won't let Shania down. I will find Arc!"

"Good luck, Roan. Be careful."

"You too…" Diekbeck rushed towards Ajarl as Roan headed towards the skyport. In the corner of the broken city, Diekbeck tried to find some means around the debris. Diekbeck scanned the area, but he stopped. He looked above him, his beady eyes shining a faint red color. Seeing the members of Blood Okami jumping from the roofs and landing on the floor beside him, it became alert. They sneered at the machine, which was already cornered. "Hmm…alone? Well, no matter. We have no interest with the clumsy fool. Grab the machine. Let's go."

Lieza and Paundit began their trip through Razen Pond in search of the members of Blood Okami, who held Mother Claire captive. Paundit panted, discontent with the humidity and the foggy mist before them. Lieza slowly walked about, watching out for spots that will cause her to slip. The fog prevented her from seeing anything in front of them. Paundit stayed faithfully by her side, leading her through the swamp. She stopped, "Strange, I was certain they came this way."

Paundit sniffed about, yet the watery atmosphere confused his senses. He suddenly jolted away, as Lieza promptly followed. Curiously, she looked about and noticed three members of the Blood Okami, walking through the fog. She grinned as she decided to follow them to their base. Making sure they could not spot them, she let Paundit move ahead of her. Stepping through some rigid floors, she noticed they began to sink into deeper waters. After they have completely disappeared, Paundit rushed over and slightly growled. Lieza walked over, examining the area where the men have disappeared. She realized that within the waters, there was a well-hidden stairway. Though the waters were shallow, the darkness of the water makes the pathway hard to see. She walked into the water and slowly stepping down the stairs, as Paundit diffidently followed. Right as her body was halfway in the water, suddenly the platform underneath them opened, causing both of them to drop into the abyss. As the platform immediately closed above them, they fell through a large tunnel. Lieza grabbed unto her large dog like friend, who landed on the floor safely. Lifting her head, she feared that they would be caught again; yet, she noticed the room was empty. Next to the tunnel she fell from, there was a lift, which she assumed would lead them back to the surface. Within the room, there was a stairway, leading to the floor underneath them. She chose to not look on the floor under but rather, examine the floor she was presently on first. Walking to the door, she opened it cautiously and peered around. Paundit sniffed around to sense if any other people were close by. Lieza stepped out and quickly ran down the large hallways. Seeing no one around, Paundit and Lieza continued to run forward, entering a room. Lieza examined the surroundings, noticing that the room held all main control flow of energy. Paundit's hair straightened up, as he ferociously growled. Lieza turned around and saw that the door has opened and three men in red cloaks entered. Alert, they immediately took out their small guns. "It's an intruder!"

"Here we go again…" Lieza took out her whip. Paundit immediately jumped and grabbed the intruder's arm with his jaws. As the other two were alarmed, Lieza thrust her whip and slapped away their handgun. The men immediately grabbed some shurikens and threw them at her. Lieza ducked away and turned towards them, but was shocked to see another man in red standing behind her enemies. The stranger suddenly knocked out her enemies with one large tackle. Lieza looked at their struggle with bewilderment, as the other one struggling with Paundit, pushed the animal away and tried to run out of the room. Yet the stranger, dressed as one of the Blood Okami, rushed in and gave a firm punch, knocking him out cold. He grunted and cracked his knuckles. Paundit stood next to Lieza and slightly whimpered, to assure her that it was safe. Paundit rushed next to the stranger, who petted Paundit with his large dark hands. Undoing his hood, he looked up at Lieza and gave a wide grin. Lieza, in turn smiled back at him, "Gruga!"

"It's been a while, Lieza, Paundit." Gruga walked towards her, as she hooked her whip back to her sash. The large man now clothed in a black robe and wearing the same crimson cloak of the Blood Okami, crossed his arms together. Lieza began to ask, "How did you come here? And why?"

"Hmph. Strange things were happening in Clenia." Slightly pushing over one of the members with his leg, he continued, "These men were appearing everywhere in the country, capturing wild chimeras. Thus, I followed them here and on my way, saw that Shania was taken captive."

"Shania is captured? Mother Claire is here as well…"

"We must find a way to free them both. Let us go and look for them."

"You may be able to blend in among them, but Paundit and I will look suspicious around you."

"Do not worry, I have an idea…"

Moments later, Shania woke up. Sitting in a large chair, she felt her hands bound by strange mechanisms around the chair arms. Struggling for a moment, she realized a strange contraption was upon her head as well. She frantically looked around. Men in red cloaks were setting up some machinery together around her. She nervously glanced away and turned towards the door as it opened up. Kramer boldly walked in and smiled at her, bowing respectfully. "You've awaken, I see."

"What are you planning to do with me?"

"Well, my dear, does the White House sound familiar to you? It was a place where orphans were taken for special research, a research that resulted in human experimentation. This machine here is a basic prototype of the technology used in the White House."

Shania narrowed her eyes and glared back at Kramer. "You're planning to turn me into a Chimera?"

"I thought it'd be entertaining to see you fight your own friends and dying by their hands. And of course, to see their reaction when they know what you've become after your death."

"I'd gladly die by their hands than to be used in your foul plans."

"Hmph, well, might I also mention your toy is being safely transported to our master. But then again, that won't be too important to you once this experiment is over."

"…Diekbeck…Roan…" Shania bitterly looked away from Kramer. Kramer simply smirked and motioned for the men to start the experiment. He turned around and walked away from the scene. As he left the room, Gruga and Lieza peered over the corner to avoid being caught. Shania struggled and nervously glanced around. The machine began to roar, as the experiment started to happen. Shania tightly shut her eyes, fearing for what would happen next. When Kramer was completely out of their sight, Gruga and Lieza appeared before the door. Two guards stood before them and halted their progress. "Where are you going?"

Gruga, holding a pistol against Lieza's back, forced her forward. "I found this person sneaking around the entrance. She was acting a little suspicious so I decided to bring her in."

"Hmph. Good timing. The Chimera experiment will be starting soon."

"The-the Chimera experiment…but on whom?" Gruga spoke. Lieza recognized that it was the experiment that affected Elc's life and all of those he loved and remembered in his childhood. She gripped her hands into a fist, as she felt bitter anger brewing within.

"The little princess of Millmana. After he spoke with her, Commander has just left the room." Gruga and Lieza's eyes grew wide with shock. Gruga and Lieza looked at one another and nodded. Immediately Lieza thrust her whip out and slashed the faces of the two men in front of her. As the men were thrown back by surprise, Gruga quickly punched them, one on his face and the other on his stomach. They fell upon the floor and Lieza turned to Gruga, "Hurry! We must stop it before it's too late!"

"Let me handle what's happening inside! Lieza—the Main Control room!"

"All right!" As Lieza turned the corner to head back to the control room, Gruga opened the door, calmly walking in. Gruga gasped as he saw Shania screaming and struggling to get free from the contraption. He rushed forward, throwing away the red coat that disguised him as the others. The men in the room stopped their process in shock. "What in the world? Who are you?"

"Out of my way!" The men began to hustle before him, but Gruga tackled one and started to make his way through the crowd. Lieza rushed into the control room, as Paundit immediately got up. Since he was a chimera, he was asked to stay behind in the room. Lieza looked about frantically, locking the door behind her. She rushed forward towards the controls. Gruga was kicked down by two of the men. The rest of the men took out their guns to shoot at Gruga. Suddenly the lights above them flickered and the flow of power was slipping away from the room. In their confusion, Gruga spun and punched the men before him. With a loud roar, he kicked away the pistols and slammed them against the machines. The room grew dim and the contraption lights went out. Lieza, on the other hand, sighed as she shut down the entire power system of the lab. She ran past Paundit, opening the door, "Come on, Paundit!"

Shu and Shante stood up, as they saw the lights above them reacting strangely to the loss of power. Suddenly, as it grew completely grew dim above them, the machine that bound their hands snapped opened and fell upon the floor. Shu held his wrist in surprise, as Shante looked towards the door, hearing a strange click sound. Shante asked, "What is going on?"

Shu narrowed his eyes and looked through the bar window on the door. Slowly, he pushed the door open. Shante and Shu looked at one another in surprise. Shu nodded at her, "Looks like freedom has come to us."

"And we gladly accept." Shante and Shu walked out, looking side to side. Taking their chances, they quickly ran down the long hallway. They stopped, however, as the members of the Blood Okami turned the corner. Holding a determined face, they got ready for the battle to ensue.

Gruga glanced around with caution, seeing that all the guards were out cold upon the floor. He ran towards Shania, who was faint. The entrapment on her hands was loose, so Gruga took off the contraption on her head. He shook her gently, "Shania! Shania, pull yourself together!"

"…Gr-Gruga…" Shania slowly got herself up, while Gruga helped her. She shook her head to clear the headache infused in her mind, "Ugh…Gruga, how did you…"

"It's quite a story actually. Are you all right? Can you walk?"

"Heh. Of course, I can…Something like that can't keep me down." Shania struggled to get on her feet, as Gruga smirked. "Stubborn as usual."

"And you haven't changed during the past month. It's good to see you again." Shania smiled back at him, as he helped her out of the door. Lieza and Paundit met them there. Shania was quite surprised to see her. "Lieza…Paundit…you were here as well? This is all so sudden…"

"Makes you think we're here for a reunion, doesn't it?" Lieza laughed. Gruga, looked side to side, as the area around them was darker than usual. Due to the loss of energy, the entire lab seemed to be unstable. Gruga figured there would be more chaos amidst this confusion for the members of the Blood Okami. "Anyway, let us find Mother Claire quickly, before they spot us."

Not too far from them, Shante grabbed the punch that flew towards her face, and kneed his stomach. She kicked the heel, causing the man to fall. Holding his hood, she slammed his head upon the floor, causing him to get unconscious. Shu, in turn, was blocking the impeding attacks, and used his stealthy dash to get around the enemy to hold his arms down. Slamming unto the wall, Shu harshly questioned, "Where is Kramer?"

The enemy struggled to get free, not answering the question. Shante deeply sighed, watching the remaining men unconscious upon the floor. She turned towards Shu, who simply pinned the man harder towards the wall. The man grimaced, and steadily raised his glance towards the room on the way end of the corridor. "He's in there..."

Shu slammed his head upon the wall, knocking him out. He slid on the wall, till he reached the floor. Shante and Shu headed towards the large metal door, yet they suddenly stopped. Hearing a woman's horrified scream, they both stopped and whirled around. Shante and Shu ran back down the hall, trying to find the source. Shante glanced at Shu, "You don't think they've got someone else besides us, do you?"

"Considering their ruthless ways, it's quite possible." Both of them stopped, as they saw an old woman cowering in the corner with three members in red, reaching out to grab her. They began to drag her away, as it appeared she was attempting to escape. Shu and Shante jumped into the scene. Shu kicked the man who was holding the lady. Shante rushed to her side and turned towards her, "Are you all right?"

The elder faintly nodded and sighed. The others rushed towards Shante, but Shu got in the front and stopped their advance. Meanwhile, Gruga, Shania, Lieza and Paundit searched frantically through every cell they passed through. They drew near a larger metal door. As they were about to open it, they were suddenly thrown unto the floor. The earth beneath them uncontrollably trembled. Paundit growled, as he tried to keep his paws steady upon the floor. Lieza got on her knees, trying to use the wall to get herself back on her feet. Gruga held unto Shania, as they steadily rose to their feet. Dust started to gather around and float about, as stones clattered upon the floor. The trembling began to settle down. They all sighed with relief. The unsteady atmosphere, however, made Paundit anxious. He started to sigh and pant as he grabbed unto Lieza's skirt and pull. Shania and Gruga exchanged a confused glance towards Paundit's behavior. "Hmm…An earthquake? Hmm? What's wrong with Paundit?"

Lieza's eyes grew wide, as she turned towards her companions. "The water-!" Yet before she could finish speaking, from within the seams on the wall, water started to rapidly pour in. They gasped, as they whirled around to see the floor began to rise with water from the Razen Pond. On the other hand, Shu and Shante looked around with unease. The men before them looked with shock as they quickly retreated towards the main control room. The elderly woman held unto Shante, "This water…it's from the Razen Pond. Because of the shortage of energy, the pressure beneath the water is severed."

With the lights flickering off and on, they could only guess how long they had till the entire place would be flooded. They all began to head down the hall together. Shante looked at the lady, "Why are you here? What did they want with you?"

"I am Mother Claire. I'm a beasttalker. They've kidnapped me so that they can use my skills to experiment on the creatures that they have captured from various countries."

"A beasttalker…just like Lieza…" Shante spoke with surprise, as Shu looked about, trying his hardest to find an exit. Shu added, "That explains why the creature was able to be controlled by Kramer."

"Lieza? You know Lieza?" The elder asked. Shante and Shu both turned to her to speak, yet a loud noise caught them by surprise, as the lights upon the corridors before them lit up one by one and all the way past them. The rumbling ceased for a moment, but the water was already reaching right below their knee. Mother Claire spoke, "The power is back on, but this water…"

"It still rises! How…Ugh!" Shu grabbed unto the wall, as did Shante and Mother Claire. The shaking began again, and this time the doors to the cells flung open, with water pouring out. Shante gasped, as there seemed to be no way past the sudden flood, coming at them in an unimaginable speed. Shu groaned, "This is just great…Come on!"

They quickly trudged through the waters, trying their hardest to avoid the massive wave within the walkway. Meanwhile, Lieza, Paundit, Shania, and Gruga ran into the room with the large metal door. Slamming it shut behind them, they quickly examined the room. The water began to seep in underneath the door, and in various places the ceiling above them was leaking. Lieza looked with utter remorse, as it was not the room which held Mother Claire captive. Gruga and Shania waited near the door, yet a sudden loud shout drew their attention towards a small crevice between their present room and the room next door. Paundit growled, but Lieza quickly hushed him, as she walked forward. Gruga and Shania stood closely against the wall, overhearing the strange voices that were arguing within the room. Though the sounds were muffled, Shania recognized the coarse voice of Kramer from within the room. Lieza also listened in, as Kramer spoke, "What is going on! How did the power turn off?"

"Sir, an intruder has freed Princess Shania from the experiment…and during that process, another intruder must have—"

"Damn it! How fast is the water coming in?"

"We've got less than an hour to escape..."

"Less than an hour, huh? Hehe…" Kramer lowered his voice, as he growled, "Set free the Chimeras. Our job here is complete. We have no need for this base now."

"What of the intruders…and prisoners…?"

"Knowing them, they're probably finding a way to escape right now…but…I've got a good feeling where they are headed…We've got the chimeras and the machine is being transported to Prince Clive at this point. We've got the cards to play the final game, with the use of the chimeras and the machines, sacrificing an entire kingdom would suffice to harness the power of the Dark One again." Shania and Gruga opened their mouth in a silent gasp, as Lieza shook her head in disbelief. "Arc would be there…and many others who follow him. It'll be the perfect set, once Prince Clive sets the seal of demolition upon Palencia. The blood of those within the range of the seal will once again revitalize the strength of the Dark One and open the gates to which he can pass through into this realm in a different form...Hehe…"

"Sir?"

"Come, we've got some prisoners to recapture." Kramer opened the door and walked forward. The large room was empty, however, and he stopped for a moment, examining the floor now filling up with water. Another in the same red cloak who stood by his side, questioned, "Is there anything the matter, sir?"

"Strange…it almost feels as though someone else was in this place…"

Though his words spoke true, Kramer was too late to notice that they have already left the scene. Lieza, Gruga, Shania, and Paundit quickly rushed down the hall, with the water rising and seeping through the doors. Still searching the area, they ran through each cell door to find Mother Claire. They began to fear for Arc and the others in Seirya. Lieza and the others knew they could not leave Mother Claire behind, yet they couldn't help but wonder what would hold for the Arc's future. Gruga grunted in distress, "I wouldn't have imagined they set up such a scheme…"

"If we don't get out of here, we won't ever have the chance to warn Arc…" Shania replied with the same tone of voice as Gruga. As they kept running through the water, on the floor below them, Shante, Mother Claire, and Shu were swept up by the waters. Floating along, they held unto the air pipes on the roof of the corridors. Shu looked back at them, "We're almost there…"

They slowly headed back to their own entrance to the Chimera lab. Shu was certain they would find their escape route there. Entering the room, they saw the large staircase that led them to the next level above. "Here it is…"

They began to hold unto the railings, pulling themselves up onto the area of the stairs. Finally, they entered into a room with a lift that would lead them to surface. They sighed with relief and quickly walked towards it, as the water level was only up to their ankles now. As Shu approached the lift, the door besides them slammed open as members of the Blood Okami rushed in. Holding the usual pistols within their hands, they aimed it towards Shu, Shante, and Mother Claire, who stood still with prudence. A soft chuckle was heard behind the men in red, and Shu grimaced with resentment. Kramer passed through the entrance and looked at them with amusement. "You've always been good with directions, Shu."

"Hmph…I'm surprised to see you're still here, Kramer. You've always been the first to run away from imminent danger." Kramer gave Shu an annoyed glance and grabbed him, holding his large red scarf. Kramer stared into Shu's fearless eyes, as Shu was unwilling to hide any anger and bitterness he felt towards him. Kramer merely grinned and pushed him aside, motioning for the others to get them. Shu and Shante got ready to fight their enemies once more, determined to not get recaptured. As though their request has been answered from above, the room was thrown in great tremor. Kramer looked with alarm, as the ceiling started to cave in above them. Shu kicked away the men before them, as he rushed to the lift. Turning towards Shante, he yelled, "Hurry, to the lift!"

Unfortunately, as they opened the door to the lift, it has been flooded already, and water gushed out, unto them. With a look of pure disappointment, Shu looked towards them. "Ugh…There's no way out through here."

Shante held Mother Claire aside, while Shu looked towards Kramer and his men. Kramer grew impatient, as they were about to head towards them. Though the place was still unstable and the shaking did not cease, a loud roar behind them halt their actions. Gruga rushed in with Paundit, throwing aside the men that Kramer brought with him. Kramer and the others opened their mouth in shock. "What in the--!"

Shante could scarcely believe her eyes. "It's Gruga!" Lieza and Shania jumped past Gruga and Paundit. Lieza thrust her whip out, and slashed the remaining men, as Shania held a large spear like pole, swiped the area clear of enemies. Shu, in turn, added, "Lieza! Shania!"

Kramer, covered his face with his large cloak, as the water started splattering across the room. He jumped unto a large crate that was till above the waters, as the others did as well. Kramer looked with earnest, but his men remained unconscious afloat in the water. Shu and the others returned him a most unpleasant look. Kramer shook his head in disbelief. "Damn it all…"

Lieza smiled at Shante, who was holding Mother Claire close to her. Lieza was relieved to find Mother Claire safe. Shante also glanced at Gruga, who stood next to Shu, cautious of what is to come. Shania smirked and stared at Kramer, "It seems you are out numbered."

"Give up, Kramer…you can't defeat all of us." Shu told his old nemesis the blunt assumption for the outcome of their battle. Kramer grunted, as he took of his hood, revealing his pale complexion and hair accented by his indigo gaze. "True, I can not defeat you all together, but it is not me you are fighting anymore, old friend."

The others looked at one another with questioning intentions, yet their present situation became clear to them as the ceiling that was caving in suddenly ruptured as water poured in with a great force. Kramer laughed and whirled around from where he stood, wrapping his coat around him. Shu gasped, as he realized what Kramer was planning. Shu jumped unto crates after crates to reach him, but before he could grab unto Kramer, Kramer has completely vanished like a shadow. Shu hit the crate with his fist in anger, realizing Kramer has used a secret technique to teleport himself out of here. The force of the water caused them to fall off the crates they held unto, as they screamed. The water continually poured in, rising to the surface and filling the entire base. Every door seemed to flung open on its own, as the water quickly encompassed any available space. They struggled within the water, unable to fight the force of the revolving waves about them.

The sky grew dark within the cloudy covering over Seirya. By the looks of the city of Palencia, it was amazing to find the massive improvements. Though the fortress and all its surroundings were ruins before, the quick reconstruction of Seirya took even the foreigners by surprise. Before all other countries and kingdoms, Palencia was the first to truly reestablish their strongholds. Tall buildings stood as though a Great Disaster was an ancient myth, and the people's happy smiles and comfortable lives faded all memories of the devastating attack of the Dark One. Trading merchants have opened up their stores once more, as transportation flowed freely among the citizens just the way it has in the past. Prince Clive sat within his well built palace, appearing even more powerful than it has in the beginning of Arc's journey. From behind the curtains that were behind the large royal throne, a spruce servant walked next to Clive. "Your majesty…"

"What is it?"

"The priestess of the Sacred White Clan has arrived." Hearing this, Clive got up from his seat, as his silver cape fell aside his right arm, covering partially the right side of his body. His servant nodded and walked back within the curtains, away from the throne of power. A satisfied grin formed upon Clive's face. He walked across the sturdy red carpet before him, as the two tall doors adorned with carvings of two large soldiers holding the sun opened up, revealing Kukuru in her pastel priestess robe. She calmly walked forward. Clive welcomed her presence, as the door behind her steadily shut.

"It's been three years…and you still look fair as you have before." Clive stood in front of her, as she returned a nonchalant look to his remarks. Kukuru noticed the great improvement of the city and even Clive's own appearance was as handsome as she remembered, even with his eyes behind the glasses. She sighed and walked towards the throne, looking upwards at the chair where the fallen King once sat. "I'm impressed at how quickly you've revived Palencia. It's almost unreal."

"Of course, it was not my efforts alone." Clive walked besides her, as he gave her his hand, "Come, why don't we speak elsewhere- in a more pleasant place?"

"Clive-um…Prince Clive…" Kukuru muttered her last words with discomfort, which simply drew an amused look on Clive's face. He withdrew his hand, "Yes, Kukuru?"

"I did not come to hold a simple conversation. I've come on behalf of my people." Kukuru softly spoke. Clive warmly smiled and drew closer to her, staring into her plum eyes.

"You're worried for their wellbeing..." He faintly spoke the obvious. Kukuru nodded. "You probably knew before me, our forces are weakening. We ask the people of Palencia to lend a helping hand towards our people in rebuilding our village…"

Clive leered, as he glanced away from her for a moment, "A lending hand, you say? Hmm…the last I remembered, the alliance between Palencia and the Sacred White Clan was nonexistent."

Kukuru opened her mouth in a silent gasp, "What-what do you mean? We-we did not break our alliance…"

"Yes…you and I have not…but," Clive walked a few steps away before turning towards her again, "Perhaps you did not know, before my father passed away, he has planned a secret meeting with your father to sever the alliance between Palencia and the Sacred White Clan. With the traditions broken between our kingdoms, he believed that there was nothing that tied our two forces together."

"But--"

"The Great Disaster has swept away our past, and all of it. We are in a new era, a time of restoration…" Kukuru silently put her head down, feeling discouraged about the future of her people. Clive simply continued, "…but…I am not my father, and what does the plans of the dead matter…"

Kukuru raised a confused glance towards Clive, who gave her a striking grin. "I never planned on breaking our alliance and…I hoped you would feel the same."

"Clive…you mean," Kukuru felt hopeful, as she contemplatively looked upon the floor, "Do you mean you will help us?"

"Hehe…Perhaps...This is a negotiation after all." Clive gave her a playful smirk, as Kukuru sighed with in brief relief. Kukuru looked back at Clive, who stared at her with the same strange confidence and handsome demeanor. He walked towards her, standing before her, "We still do have a chance is reforming the lost alliance."

"A chance to reform?"

"Yes. Do you not recall? The marital tradition has always been used to renew and complete an alliance." Kukuru stepped back, quite taken aback by the request. She stared back in a defiant manner, as she lowered her voice, "You mean…the marriage between the crown prince of Palencia…and…"

"The priestess of the Sacred White Clan. It is no secret to any of us, I'm sure." Clive spoke, with an unexplainable look of composure. Nonetheless, Kukuru did not receive this matter with the same calmness. She turned away, "That- That is not possible."

"Oh? You refuse…?" Clive seemed unhindered in his plans, as he raised the usual look of poise towards her.

"Yes. I can not agree to this negotiation..." Kukuru began to head towards the door. Yet she stopped before the door, breathing heavily. She held a troubled look, as she couldn't find the courage to open the door and leave Clive's presence, to walk away from the only chance that can hold her people together. Holding the handle of the door tightly, she felt her heart drop by the overwhelming realization of her own responsibilities.

"And yet, you can't walk out of this very room, because you know there is no other way for your people…no other path…" Clive walked up to her back, as she still did not turn to face him. She solemnly whispered, "…I can decide for my people…"

"Yes, you can decide for your people. You can take this chance to lead them to a path of stability. The burden you feel is not yours alone," Clive grabbed her arm and turned her towards him, as they stood dangerously close to one another, "It is also mine to bear…if you but come to me…"

Staring into his golden eyes, Kukuru felt herself being strangely drawn towards him. The feeling was unfamiliar and intimidating, yet oddly welcoming. In the short moment, she almost wanted to stay and accept his offer. She shook her head, shocked that her abhorrent feelings towards him seemed to have mysteriously vanished, as though another force has been controlling her thoughts all the while. She felt her heart beat in a strange way, and the familiar pain began to rise. Kukuru shoved him away, "I will not come to you." Clive, however, did not stop his advance, as he forcefully grabbed her hand, "Yet you've already come here…and you know you can not leave…"

"Watch me." Kukuru ripped his grip away from her hand, as she boldly grabbed the handle, prepared to push and open the door, until Clive's words held her captive once more, "I seemed to have forgotten to say, I know a cure for the plague that attacked your village."

After a sudden pause between them, Kukuru irritably looked at him, "…You lie…there is no cure."

"There are many secrets to the Dark One and his ways. I know the cure…and I can offer it to you…"

"Hah…You're trying to blackmail me now?" Kukuru looked flabbergasted and almost found Clive's words beyond belief, "Do you think I will fall for such a ploy!" With anger boiling her blood inside, she turned away from him. Yet Clive steadily walked up to her, "Even if it was a ploy, are you willing to take the risk?"

Kukuru felt him drawing closer and she gripped the handle harder, showing the whiteness of her knuckles. From anger, her expression became unsettled. Her bitter thoughts tainted her mind and heart. He was right. She knew she couldn't take the risk of leaving behind a cure. Feeling utterly helpless within Clive's grasp and his intentions on marrying her, Kukuru sighed. Clive leaned his head close to her ear and whispered, "I will give you a day to think it over…but I'm sure you wouldn't need that much time to decide…"

Leaning forward, he pushed the door open for her. Kukuru slowly walked out of the throne room, not facing him. Clive smirked, watching her hopes fade and her expectations crumbling. The guards closed the door before him, as Kukuru effortlessly walked forward, down the steps that led to the throne room, and through the palace entrance. She felt a large emptiness cover up her heart, as she her own breath was heavy. She walked on towards her village, but her steps were unsteady. An irrepressible grief has overtaken her mind, for she could not find any other means to avoid this ordeal. As though she was chasing nothing within this dreary moment, she felt the darkness numb her heart, which once dearly believed there was still hope.

To the readers/ reviewers: Thank you for continually reading my story. I pray that you enjoyed this chapter and anticipate for the next. I'm open to suggestions towards my writing, and I hope I can only improve as time goes on. Apparently, there is some ambiguity regarding Shania's name, also known as Sania. She is referred to as both names in many different websites, so I'm planning to just stick with this Shania. Please read and review to your hearts' content. God bless you!


	6. Darkness Exposed

Disclaimer:

"**Arc the Lad**" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.

Darkness Exposed

People were bustling around the community of Palenica, newly built and well structured during the reconstruction. Near the Downtown area of Seirya, commerce has begun again. Inns were restored, as well as the stores that were closed for so long. Slowly, the blue sky reappeared over the country of Seirya. Though in all other countries, dark clouds blocked the view of the sun, people of Seirya felt grateful that they could at least see clear skies above them. Landing the Silver Noah upon the Touvil Quarry a day ago, Arc and the others resided in what was left of the Sabatico Shrine. Resting for a day around the ruins, they took some time to look around Touvil before going any further. Unexpectedly, Touvil remained empty, with no people living around the area to rebuild the small village. Arc sighed, flipping over the broken loads of lumber that held the house together. He got on one knee and examined the area from a different angle. The others followed after him, looking around. No traces of Arc's mother, Polta, were found in the Sabatico Shrine. They could not understand how all this damage was not restored, while the rest of Seirya seemed perfectly renovated.

Gogen grumbled to reveal his discontent. "Bah! You would think that the Great Disaster only occurred in Touvil." Suddenly, they raised their glances as they noticed Poco and Iga running towards them from the entrance. Their faces seemed bewildered and unstable. Poco nearly collapsed on the floor, but Elc luckily grabbed him from falling. Iga stopped to catch his breath, while Tosh peered over them with curiosity and scratched his head in thought. Arc got up to meet them, "We were concerned. Where did you go this morning?"

Poco was flustered and he panicked, "Arc! Arc! Oh my! Arc!" Iga looked distressed and was unprepared to share with them what they've found out. Gogen grew impatient, and slammed his majestic cane upon Poco's little head. "Confounded little runt! Speak lest you expect us to rot in this place!"

Poco couldn't speak and only continued to mumble, thus Iga intervened for Poco's sake, before more of Gogen's grouchy morning character was revealed and taken out on Poco's head again. "We've just visited the city of Palencia. It appears we have an unexpected ruler already enthroned."

"An unexpected ruler? Who?" Elc grew deeply disturbed. Arc and Tosh walked next to Iga, as though they wanted to confirm what he just said. Poco sadly nodded to agree with Iga. Iga slowly continued, "Well…um…well, that is…"

Gogen was now more than irritated. He slammed his cane upon Iga's head this time, exclaiming, "You go there and have you not even found out who?"

Iga rubbed his head, looking slightly stunned, "Please, Gogen. A monk being hit upon the head is unheard of in the Amaidar Temple." Gogen was about to hit him again, but Tosh held unto Gogen's staff, trying to prevent him from getting even angrier. "Whoa, Whoa, my ancient friend. Now we clearly see you're not a morning person."

Gogen simply grumbled, muttering small words under his long beard. Iga continued, "His name is Clive. Apparently, he is the son of the recently assassinated king…"

"What? A son?" Tosh loudly exclaimed. Elc and the others shared the same shocked expression. Hearing this, Gogen became dead silent. Elc asked, "The king had a son? How did we not hear about him sooner? And…what was he doing while Palenica Kingdom seemed to lie in ruins for the past few months?"

"Once we heard about the news, we ran here to tell you. I regret to say, we could not gather more information." Everyone was silently thinking about all they've heard for a moment. Gogen coughed a little to get their attention, "So then…he would be your cousin, Arc. Surprising, isn't it?" They turned to Arc to see his reaction. He sighed as he returned their glances with the same confusion, "I had no idea that I had other relatives. I'm not even sure if my mother is all right…"

Poco suggested, "Perhaps, we should go meet him." Everyone seemed to agree, as they nodded and even looked at one another to get a gist of the decision being made, until Gogen slowly objected, "…No."

Elc crossed his arms and stared back at Gogen, whose eyes were hidden under his long white beard. "Why not, Gogen?" Gogen cleared his throat and walked a few feet away. "I do not like the sound of this. I advise that we go to the people of Sacred White Clan and meet a good friend of mine to find out more information."

Tosh gave him a dubious, yet at the same time, mischievous stare, "If he's an old friend, guess we could assume he's as grouchy as Gogen in the morning." Like an instinct, Gogen flung his staff at him, but Tosh was lucky to dodge it and hide behind Arc with a funny smile. "Whoa--- just suggesting, perhaps we should wait for one of us to actually wake up. Hehe."

"Hmm…who?" Poco tilted his head, pondering. Suddenly, they turned around, hearing a loud rustle coming from the Shrine. They heard Chongara running towards them from the Sabatico Shrine, screaming in the top of his lungs, "Morning it is already! Why no one wake up Chongara?" Chongara stopped in front of them and wiped the sweat that fell from his head, panting from the brief morning exercise. Arc grinned and patted Chongara's back, "You deserved the rest. You've been flying everyone around for days."

"Hahaha! Yes, Chongara like rest indeed, but missing action and information is no good to tradesmen." Arc turned towards the others, "Well then, let us follow Gogen's advice and head towards the Sacred White Clan. There, we shall meet Gogen's friend and hopefully learn more about Clive."

"Oh! That's where Kukuru is from. Do you think she could be there right now, Arc?" Poco seemed excited, but Arc did not reply and kept moving forward. The others simply followed along with Poco, who still called after Arc. Arc's eyes were deep with thought. Moving along the forest terrains, they reached a small passage that would lead to the Sacred White Clan. Arc remembered the area well. It was the intersection between Touvil and the Sacred White Clan, the place where Arc and Kukuru departed shortly after they've first met at Mount Cion. He peered around the area, finding the tree branches drooping and its leaves much duller in color than he remembered. He grew quite troubled with the mysterious arrival of Prince Clive and the disappearance of his mother. Though Arc is quite curious about what kind of person Clive could be, he hoped he wouldn't have to disappoint his friends if Clive proved to be a more worthy ruler. Fumbling through the path, some joked with one another, while others traveled with silence. Just as they were about to turn a corner, Elc noticed a body lying lifelessly before them. He rushed forward and slightly knelt down to examine the body. Finding him to be alive, he tried to shake the man awake. The man's face was barely visible with all the dirt covering the facial features. Arc and the others gathered around Elc and the man.

"Sir, Sir! Are you all right?" Elc shook the body, but the man simply whimpered and groaned. "Your majesty…Diekbeck…I'm almost there…"

They all looked at the man perplexed. Iga scratched his head, his small eyes fainting blinking, "Correct me, if I'm mistaken, but did he just mention Diekbeck?" Everyone looked back at him, while Chongara nodded in agreement, "HA! Say He did! My ears are as the giant bat, they could hear anything even through—"

"WAIT! That means, this man is..!" Chongara glared at Poco for ruining his familiar saying, as Poco rushed to Elc's side and wiped away some of the dirt upon the man's face with his coarse sleeve. When the dirt was partially away, it was apparent to everyone who this man was. Poco exclaimed, "It is! It's Roan!"

"My…It's quite bizarre to see a friend unconscious in the middle of the woods." Gogen spoke as he checked up on Roan's health. Arc directed everyone, "Let's carry him to the Sacred White Clan. We should get him healed as soon as possible." Elc nodded and pulled Roan up with the help of Poco. Soon, Elc was able to hold onto him, pulling Roan's arm over his shoulder. With determined faces, everyone walked on. Together, they steadily drew closer and closer to the Sacred White Clan, not knowing what they might find and who they might meet.

Back in the forsaken chimera lab within the Razen Pond of Millmana, large crates and empty vessels of machinery bobbed on the water. The pressure utterly tore the chimera lab inside out, for the outer structure was not able to stabilize the flow of water pouring in. Though it seemed the great flood destroyed any life that resided in the lab, several chimeras pranced around the area oblivious to the event. On the shores of the pond, Shu's body laid there, unconscious and wounded. Besides him, Shania, Gruga, and Shante were also scattered around the banks, barely hanging onto the edge. Lieza was a few feet away from them. She groaned, as she felt something warm upon her face. She coughed, and was shaken awake. Her entire body was aching from the struggle to survive through the torrent that ripped across the base. She continued to cough, feeling the water still plaguing her throat and lungs. Barely opening her eyes, she tried to reach out and sense the area with her hands. She felt her fuzzy companion besides her, whimpering and trying to get her conscious again. He licked her on the face once more, and nuzzled her with his firm nose. "Ugh…Pa-Paundit…."

Finally opening her eyes fully, she was able to clearly see around her. Nevertheless, the headache seemed to only get worse as she tried to move. She looked at Paundit, and gasped as she realized Paundit's hind leg was severely injured and still bleeding. Paundit continued to whimper, panting because of the pain. Lieza pulled herself up and drew nearer to her friend, "Paundit, this wound-" She examined other areas of his body, and was relieved to find no other serious injuries. She noticed, however, a great trail of blood behind Paundit. It was apparent that he dragged himself from where he originally was to reach her. She felt her heart tear up in anguish for her companion, and carefully hugged him. She sighed and pet his wet fur, as his body trembled from the cold. She looked around and found the others still unconscious. She was surprised that she was even able to get up at all. She whispered to Paundit, "Stay here, Paundit. I'm going to wake the others…don't worry and stay still, all right?"

Paundit seemed to understand, as he licked her hand and watched her slowly leave. Lieza limped across the muddy banks, holding onto the firm trees to not fall. Her breathing was heavy, as she was barely pulling herself towards her friends. Her legs were heavy as bricks. She collapsed next to Shu and shook him. She checked his pulse, but continued to call out his name. Shu began to regain consciousness, but as he started to truly breathe his fullest, his lungs felt tight and uncomfortable from the water. He straightened himself up and coughed, looking away. He wiped his mouth and shook his head. He heavily breathed, and moved his arms slowly. He turned back to look at Lieza, who seemed relieved that Shu was all right. She helped him up, as he tried to balance. When he examined the area, he found Gruga getting up as well. Gruga reached out to Shania and Shante. Everyone coughed, apparently having choked on water before they reached the surface. Their hair was all wet, sticking unto their faces. The damp and cold air caused their throats to tighten with all the moisture. Only Gruga and Shante held major injuries. Shante seemed to have sprained her ankle, while Gruga had a large wound on his right, which was still bleeding. Shania helped Gruga with the wound, as Shu helped Lieza bring Paundit closer to them without straining his hind leg. They all looked at one another, happy that they survived.

"We're fortune we didn't drown within the debris." Shu calmly spoke while Shania struggled to untangle her wet hair. Shante slightly mumbled, "Fortunate but at the same time…unfortunate. We lost traces of those men."

"No, we know where they are headed." Shu and Shante looked at Gruga, as he continued, "We've overheard their plans. We don't know who they are, but we are certain that they're going to hit Seirya and strike the people of Palencia."

"I guess we have lots of information to share with one another. There's a few things that I should share with you about those men in red. We must head to Seirya as soon as possible…" Shu leaned down and helped Shante, letting her lean on his shoulder. Suddenly Lieza gasped, causing all of them to stir and turn to her. "Where's Mother Claire?"

Everyone returned her their shocked expression. They looked around with caution, wondering what could have happened to the elderly lady. While they slowly searched the area, from a distance they heard a loud holler and series whistles. They turned towards the direction, seeing a group of men coming towards them. One of the men called out to them, "Is everyone all right?"

Shu spoke for the group, "We're all right. But you are..?" The men were well equipped with medical tools and they tended to their wounds immediately. The man smiled at them, "We're from Ajarl. We heard a loud rumble at the Razen Pond last night, and were planning on investigating. This morning, a kind elderly woman named Mother Claire came and told us that there was a great need for medical assistance. We don't have much, but we came with all we can." Everyone sighed with pure relief, hearing that Mother Claire was alive and well. The man looked around and saw Lieza. He walked up to her to speak.

"Hmm…Blue eyes, golden hair…Could you be Ms. Lieza?" Lieza nodded. He handed a piece of paper, "This is from Mother Claire." He then left to help the others, and others distributed medicine to Shu and Shante. Lieza walked to Paundit and opened the folded paper. As she did, a small pouch fell. The memo read:

_Lieza, if you received this note, then you must have survived the flood. By using the large creatures around the pond, I was able to fly to Ajarl. I told them of you and your companions. They were more than eager to help. I've heard those bloody men speaking about meeting in the basement of the Palencia Bar. Though I wish I could provide more information to you, I'm sorry to say that I don't know what they could be planning with my skills. I'm going to hide deep within the Toyoke Woods. Someday I'm certain we will meet again… Mother Claire._

Lieza then opened the pouch and was happy to find special medicine for beasts. She smiled and gave it to Paundit, who happily consumed it. Shante limped towards her and Paundit, "Lieza, it's time that we head off now." Lieza got up, as Paundit slightly limped. Shante smiled and pet Paundit. Together, they rejoined the group and headed off to Ajarl, deciding to head to Millmana Skyport to find means to quickly reach Seirya.

Finally arriving near the Sacred White Clan, Elc let Roan down on the floor, since his arm was getting sore. Gogen was silent, seeing the people of the Sacred White Clan nearly all sitting down next to their homes. Only a few people were walking about, getting water for members of their family. Tosh shook his head in unbelief, seeing the destitute people huddled together. Poco gasped when he approached a boy and saw his entire body was marked with dark spots. Iga and Chongara stood still, uncertain of what to do for the diseased people. Arc, on the other hand, could not understand what has happened. He could not see why Touvil and the Sacred White Clan were left in such desolation, while the rest of the country richly flourished. He grew angry that the people would forget one another as the people here were left to suffer and die. Gogen stood besides Arc and nudged him with the top of his staff. Arc turned around, as Gogen gently said, "Arc, come meet my old acquaintance."

Gogen and Arc continued walking past the village. Arc peered around. Though he's never been to the Sacred White Clan before, knowing that it was Kukuru's hometown made him worried for the people. He wondered how many people knew of Kukuru and if she even knew about their condition. He glanced at the broken houses, hungry children, and resting elders of the forestry village. As they crossed the bridge at the end of the town, they reached the pale house that belonged to Spirae, Kukuru's father. Reaching the entrance, Arc looked up, hearing a pleasant melody from within the house. Gogen sighed, "Well, well, if it isn't the sound of a jesq. It's an instrument that the Sacred White Clan is quite famous for."

"There's a strange sadness to the melody…" Arc and Gogen walked in, seeing that no one was around the entrance. Gogen replied, "Yes, only an expert jesq player is able to clearly portray the emotions of the dire events that seemed to have taken place here."

When they reached a corner of the building, they saw a man sitting upon the piles of rubble looking outside the shattered glass. He held the longed stringed instrument, balanced on his shoulder and his hand pulling the strings with great composure. Gogen smirked and floated towards him, as Arc waited. Gogen cleared his throat. The man stopped and turned around. He arose from where he sat and was shocked to see the aged elder. He smiled, and hugged Gogen, who returned him the firm grip. The man began to speak, "Gogen…it's been too long since we've met."

"Seon, I knew you would be alive. I wouldn't have expected any less of a man of your stature." Gogen laughed and Seon looked up at Arc, who respectfully bowed to greet the man. Gogen drew Seon closer to Arc, as he introduced him, "Arc, this is Seon. He was the grandson of my companions among the Seven Braves. He's now the village's commanding general and close friend to Kukuru's father, Spirae."

"We've been longing to meet you. I'm glad that you survived the Great Disaster, Seon. I am Arc." Arc took out his hand to shake, which Seon gladly accepted. "Arc? Yes, we've heard much about you, of course, only through the eyes of others. Knowing that Gogen was with you, we did not believe in any of the coarse rumors..."

After the firm grip, Arc glanced at Seon's hand. He was surprised when he noticed strange dark marks upon his hand. Seon quickly hid his hand under his long sleeves of his firm robe. Gogen grew concerned and began to question, "Seon, it's odd to see the condition of the village to stay this way. What's exactly going on?"

Seon sighed and shook his head. "Gogen, it seems this place may not last too long. The Dark One's poison has affected everyone in the village. Day by day, people have been slowly dying, decaying from this incurable disease. Our chief, especially, is unable to move. We fear for his health and for the future of the people here."

"Hmph! What is that good for nothing 'Prince of Palencia' doing on his enriched throne?" Gogen grumbled with disapproval towards Clive, as Seon raised his gaze in surprise. "So you've heard. Yes, we've inquired to the recent leader but nothing was able to be done…that is…well…until…"

"Until what?" Arc inquired. The silence endured, as the crisp breeze passed through the openings of the house. Seon motioned for them to follow him. They followed him down the hall and reached Spirae's room. Standing before the door, Seon gave an uneasy look towards Arc and Gogen. In the meantime, Poco got some water from the center of the village. Elc pulled Roan up. As they helped him to recover, Roan slowly awoke from his unconscious state. Roan moaned, looking around him. His glasses weren't even upon his face properly. They all looked at him with wonder in their eyes. He stopped and opened his eyes wide, nearly jolting from where he sat. Elc and Poco defensively drew back, surprised to see his reaction. Tosh and Iga chuckled, finding their acquaintance well. Chongara gave a hearty cry, "Finally Awake!"

"Ugh…Who am I! Where am I!" Roan had a look of pure fear and panic, pointing at Elc, "…Who are you?" Tosh returned him a dubious stare and hit him upon his back, making Roan yelp. Chongara simply laughed at his reaction. Roan coughed and as he repositioned his glasses. "I-I…uh…think I can recall now…"

"Good to know you're alive, Roan." Elc helped Roan up to his feet. Roan gave them a warm smile, "Well, yes…I never thought I would see you all again…" The warm moment was a true testament of their past trials and adventures. They warmly smiled back, until he suddenly screamed in horror, causing them to all jump and return a confused stare. "AH! Arc! Where is Arc? Princess Shania and Diekbeck! They're in trouble!"

"What?" They asked simultaneously.

On the other hand, Seon began to speak towards Arc and Gogen, looking towards them with his back to Spirae's room. "Lord Spirae has been quite miserable since Kukuru-sama has left his morning…"

"Kukuru? She was here?" Arc loudly asked, as Gogen also grew alarmed. Seon answered, "Yes…"

"Why did she leave, Seon? Where would she go?" As Gogen asked, Seon looked away. He sighed and furrowed in his eyebrows. Arc also grew deeply anxious because of Seon's silence. Yet he began to slowly speak, "It seems that Prince Clive has asked her hand in marriage…and well…she…"

There was a deathly silence instilled among them. Not one spoke. Arc did not move, as though he was paralyzed. Even his breathing seemed to have stopped. As few more seconds passed by them, Gogen raised his cane to hit Seon's head, but Seon barely ducked it, "Uh! Gogen, what—!"

"And why would Kukuru want to marry the **fraud** prince?" Before Seon could answer, Arc bolted down the hall. Gogen called out his name, but Arc did not turn back. He ran out of the house, and ran towards the entrance of the village. As Elc and the others just finished listening to Roan's long explanation of what has happened, they saw Arc just pass them. Elc opened his mouth to call him, but Arc passed them too quickly. Tosh grew concerned and followed him immediately. "Arc! Arc, wait!"

Tosh was able to catch up to him, right before Arc crossed the forest to reach the city ofPalencia. He grabbed Arc to stop him, but Arc did not stop, still edging forward. "Arc! Arc, what's the matter with you! What's going on?"

Arc did not appear to be the same. He was not only in panic, but he looked utterly fearful. His eyes could not focus on one area, as he spoke in distress. "Sh-She wouldn't…no…Kukuru couldn't have…"

"Arc, get yourself together!" Tosh tried to shake Arc out of his shocked state, but Arc pushed Tosh away. Tosh tried to grab him again, but Arc escaped his grasp and ran deeper into the forest surrounding the Sacred White Clan. Tosh was about to chase after him, but Gogen came in the front and stopped Tosh. Tosh nearly crashed into the elder. "G-Gogen? What is going on around here!" Yet Gogen did not answer, though Tosh continued to ask him. He simply sighed, looking hopelessly saddened where Arc has disappeared.

Arc ran, and continued running. He couldn't control his breathing, and his thoughts were in disarray. In all other situation, he felt as though he could find stability. Yet at this point, he couldn't find anything to focus his thoughts on. All he could think of was Kukuru: from how they first met, from every moment they glanced at one another, to their first kiss, and even their last embrace before she left. To think that all of those memories were about to fade before his eyes, he felt as though another Great Disaster was happening within his heart. He stopped to catch his breath. He hunched over, holding his knees and heavily panting. He slowly looked up, finally arriving at the bridge to the Palencia castle. The castle loomed before him. It seemed much taller than he last saw it, and even the stones seemed to be of different color. Four large guards stood in front of the gates across the bridge.

Within the great castle walls, Kukuru sat on a royal seat of a grandiose table, staring into the distance. The great room was adorned with large candles, with deep red curtains that reflected its color with the sunlight. On the seat next to her, Clive calmly sipped wine from his glass. Clive looked at her. He steadily placed his glass down and sighed, "You've made a decision, I presume…"

Kukuru took a deep breathe and turned to look at him. He smiled, waiting for her answer. She closed her eyes and hastily said, "I will marry you."

"So it's decided. I trust you wouldn't mind when we hold the marriage?"

"…no."

"Hahaha. How about tomorrow then?" Clive sarcastically spoke. Kukuru raised an annoyed glance at him, as he simply chuckled. Kukuru looked away, as she whispered, "I don't care when you hold it…but you promised…the antidote..."

"Ah…now I see," Clive grinned, as he leaned back on his chair with poise. "I'm afraid that must wait until after the marriage." Kukuru glared at him, as he simply looked back at her without any expressions. She got up from where she sat, causing her chair to rustle and scrap the floor. "Consider this conversation never happened."

Clive sat still, watching her stomp away from the table. Kukuru was right about to pass through the door, but the doors shut before her. Kukuru stopped, pondering what caused the doors to shut so suddenly. She turned around to face Clive, having a faint suspicion where the mysterious powers came from. Clive rose him seat and gradually walked towards her. Kukuru gasped as her body seemed to move on its own. It flung towards Clive as though her arms and feet were tied to a string and he pulled her in. As she was right about to smash unto him, her body stopped with a sudden halt. Clive firmly grabbed her hand and started heading towards the back of the room. Kukuru tried to push him away, but her body was not hers to control any longer. She tried to scream, but her voice seemed to not exist. Clive opened a door that was followed by a large staircase. He dragged Kukuru besides him, heading up the stairs. She felt as though her legs were tangled up and that she would fall upon the stairs. As the stairway ended, they reached a large balcony. Clive pushed her towards the edge. She stopped before she felt her entire body fall over the edge of the balcony. Finding control over her body and voice again, she deeply inhaled. She looked down, as the balcony gave her a complete view of the bridge, entrance of the palace, and the city of Palencia. She grew angry that Clive treated her in such a way. She was about to turn around and face him, but she suddenly stopped. Her eyes grew wide, as she saw Arc crossing the bridge and reaching the entrance of the castle. Clive narrowed his eyes at her, as her face seemed to drop, watching Arc approach the guards.

Arc tried to pass the guards to open the entrance, but the guards held out their swords to stop him. He glared at them, completely not in the mood to deal with them. He moved aside to pass them, but they moved with him and stood before him. "…Stand out of my way. I've come to speak with the Prince."

The guards solemnly returned a coarse response. "Without the call of his majesty, no one is allowed to pass this point."

Kukuru felt as though time stopped around her. She could only hear his voice, arguing with the guards. She watched him, trying to push his way through. The guards only pushed him away with the sheath of their swords. She gripped the edge of the balcony, feeling her heart heavy and her throat tightening. She heavily sighed. She raised her glance to her side when she heard Clive speak, "So, is he the one, the penniless fool that attempts to take your heart?"

She did not answer him. She stood still and silent. Clive continued, "Having nothing but the claim that he was the son of the King's brother. Hmph, and now he acts as though everything is meant to fall on his lap for him…And you, standing by his side, engrossed in his pitiful state…"

"Stop it!" Kukuru sternly looked back at Clive. "You do not know him. I won't have you talking about him that way."

"Oh but I do know him and all about his past. The destined meeting…the breathtaking adventure...but you mistake it as love. Thus now it must all come to a tragic end. You cannot love him and he can't be in love with you. Destiny has played its trick once more and fancied your desire for one another, fooling both of you of a future that can never be…"

"Wh-what do you mean? What are you talking about?" Kukuru stared at him in confusion, as Clive glared towards Arc and continued, "Perhaps you don't remember when the Dark One consumed you that fateful day when the world believed the battle was over. I suppose you can't feel it pulsating in your veins even now…the essence of the Dark One in you, the seed of darkness that is buried deep inside of your soul and escaped with you when you left the Dark One's grasp. He lives in you now and has been since the days after the day of the Great Disaster. Think closely, Kukuru…surely, one from the Sacred White Clan is sensitive enough to feel his very presence. Remember the way you were moved by the Dark One's thoughts, feelings, emotions…"

Kukuru stopped, looking deeply into his eyes. Though she wanted to erase all that she's heard, she couldn't. She shook her head and grabbed her chest. The familiar pain that haunted her for the past days and weeks began to rise in her heart again. Then it dawned upon her. From the time she couldn't accept Arc's proposal, she knew deep inside there was something holding her back from him. And though she wanted to escape, she couldn't escape the pain and the visions of darkness. She always felt as though she lacked something when she met Maye and her children, as though she lost a deeper side of her. Even yesterday, she couldn't understand why she was strangely drawn to Clive, as though there was something inside that hungered for the darkness inside him. "You're lying…You're lying!"

She turned away and looked back at where Arc was. She felt the pain grow inside, the wounds from the inner war. The light and darkness waged its battle inside, fighting for her body. She held her head, distressed that she could not notice it sooner. Everything came back like lightning. Now knowing that her reach to Arc was growing farther and farther away, the darkness had an advantage over her. She couldn't find the light anymore and she wanted to give up fighting. The light seemed too far from her. Clive sneered, seeing Kukuru's grasp on her sanity slipping away. Arc slowly lost his own strength. He gave up arguing and pushing, and walked away from the entrance. He sighed, growing frustrated that he couldn't even see Clive and Kukuru. For one last time, Arc looked up and stared at the castle and its massive size. Clive drew closer to Kukuru, while he still eyed Arc with hatred. Suddenly Arc stopped, as he noticed Kukuru standing on the balcony with Clive right behind her. His eyes locked unto Kukuru's pale face in the distance. The brief moment seemed to hold them still in time. Arc drew closer, but Clive immediately grabbed Kukuru's arm. He forced her to face him, as he set his other arm around her shoulder. Arc slightly narrowed his eyes, as Kukuru simply stuttered, "C-Clive…What are you-"

He took his glasses off and stared into her eyes. Their bodies were dangerously close to one another. "Now that we've come to understand the truth…there's no need to hide our engagement…" He gave her a queer smirk. Kukuru opened her mouth to speak, but he suddenly pressed his lips against hers. Both Arc and Kukuru's eyes grew wide with complete surprise and shock. The moment seemed to captivate all of them in that one space and time. Finally grasping the reality of the situation, Kukuru tightly shut her eyes and tried to push him away but Clive only held her closer and harder to the point where she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She trembled with frustration, as she could feel his warm breath on her face and their lips locked together. Arc didn't know what to think or feel, watching them. His emotions seemed to have erupted and out of his control. Her body was stiff in his hold. Arc curled his fingers and tightly held a fist, as anger slowly brewed inside. The anger slowly changed into bitterness and resentment towards Clive. Clive began to slowly loosen his grip, as Kukuru immediately wriggled herself out of his embrace and ran back into the castle, wanting to avoid Arc's gaze. Kukuru ran down the stairs, holding her mouth and trying to erase all that she felt in the forced embrace. An irrepressible fury rose inside, as she despised herself and her predicament with the darkness only growing deeper. Her tears drew a sudden warm line down her pale face. Her deep sigh was shaky, as she tried to breathe steadily but to no avail. She began to slow down when the stairway ended. Crumbling unto the floor, she felt her excess clothes falling next to her. She cried and didn't withhold her loud sobbing; shutting her eyes to prevent any more tears from falling. She screamed and hit the floor with her fists, throwing herself at the mercy of the floor.

Clive turned back and looked at Arc in a demeaning way. Arc glared back at him, while Clive returned a malicious grin, as though he has was triumphant in a battle. The guards approached Arc, motioning for him to leave. Their eyes were locked on one another with pure rage and hatred. Arc slowly turned and walked away. Seeing Arc disappearing into the forest path, Clive's grin twisted into his usual look of poise. Deep within his heart, he despised Arc and seemed to only resent his noble character more and more. Clive closed his eyes for a moment, unburying the past a year ago. The castle's luster and shine slowly returned to the way it was before it was destroyed. Clive remembered walking into his father's private chamber, the large doors slowly opening. Clive, in his royal garments, calmly walked in. Every step he took echoed upon the marble floor. He peered over at the small stand, watching his father pour some grape wine into a golden goblet. Clive folded his arms upon his chest, looking unhappy with his father. His father slowly spoke, "Hmm. So you've arrived back from Yagos Isle. I expect you've already heard the news..."

"You mean this news of Arc? He claims to be the son of your brother and now has thrown the entire kingdom into confusion." Clive spoke with anger and bitterness in his voice. His father simply sighed, as he nervously took a sip of his wine. He looked at Clive with a concerned expression, clearly expressing his sorrow and confusion.

"Perhaps...It brings me back to the days when I was as young, when your mother was still alive." The king shook his head and chuckled, "How the years tell you of wisdom and folly. It still shocks me, Clive, about a decision I made on the day my own brother was to be enthroned king. I was a weak prince, able to be manipulated by the elders and the leaders of the Blood Okami. Why did I not see then that they simply wanted more power? And even now…" Clive noticed his father's voice shaking and his hands trembling. The King immediately put the glass down with a thud, and covered his face with one hand. The King sighed, "To see my own brother's son, as though it was destiny that I should have this chance. He…he had his eyes, Clive. I've asked countless times, 'what could I do to regain my brother's trust and forgiveness?' A royal son of the kingdom of Palencia reduced to wear the clothes I saw him wearing. Hah. If you saw his hands, you would know he worked in the fields as a child.

"…Clive…I've done wrong, a great wrong. My sins are heavy upon me and they burn in my conscience even today. If there's anything, I must set things right with Arc. For my brother's sake, I must look after Arc. This is not my place; it was the place of my brother. Now…I must set things…right-" Watching his father grow tearful, Clive grew curious of his father's past. Though he wished he could understand, he could not understand all the feelings his father felt. He never saw his father's strong façade break in such a way, until Arc has come along to the king's presence.

"Father, what are you talking about? How can you believe the words of a complete stranger? You must stay calm. You are overreacting to lies and nonsense! You've told me my uncle died many years ago from an accident..." Though the King heard his son's voice loud and clear, he shook his head. As the king disregarded Clive's word, Clive's eyes narrowed to reveal his distress. The King simply continued speaking.

"No, I will be holding a meeting with Lord Spirae of the Sacred White Clan and tell him the entire truth. Yoshua's name should not be remembered with such disgrace among the Sacred White Clan. He wanted to reform new laws and new customs…but not to please himself, Clive. He was thinking for the good of all people in Palencia. He wanted the bond with the Sacred White Clan to go deeper than what it is now…so many ambitions and charisma," the King smirked, "…and his son is just like him. Ambitions and charisma, something I was only able to obtain with blood upon my hands. I...I must do what my brother believed in. And…Clive…" the King stopped for a moment, as Clive stepped forward, "…Father…?"

"This may be hard for you to accept, my son. I'm going to try and return Arc to his proper place in the Palace under me, even if it may mean breaking the alliance with the Sacred White Clan. I'm sure, after all is explained, the alliance can be restored again. Lord Spirae is a good man, someone I could trust…"

"W-What!" Clive looked utterly shocked at his father's words. He could not see what was so urgent that they had to bring the boy to the castle. Clive could not accept it and he grew angry at his father's guilt. "He simply flashes an emblem and now you're planning on taking him in as family?" Clive was about to laugh but the King sternly looked at him. The King drew nearer to Clive, acting as his authority figure and lowering his voice.

"…Arc is your cousin, Clive."

"I have no cousin, father! And my uncle is dead--yourpast is dead! You can't change whatever has already happened! I will not bow to the feet of a commoner and expect you raise him as King!"

"Arc has characteristics that you may never have in your life, Clive. He was born to be the Crown Prince and even bears the sign of royalty. He is no commoner."

"Y-You have gone mad! I will not listen to speak such nonsense, father. The boy is clearly manipulating you and using you for power! I will stop this nuisance once and for all. I will make sure he will know how to fear the authorities above him! The impudent fool!" Clive was about to walk away, but his father's loud voice halted his exit.

"You will not do anything to Arc! Clive! Do not make the same mistakes that I have made! You must not let my sins carry down to the next generation!" Clive turned around, as his father approached him with earnest pleading in his eyes. Clive simply coldly looked at his father.

"Hmph. Well, I guess the blame is on you, father, since children take on after their parents..." The King's eyes grew wide, as he raised his hand and slapped Clive across his face. A sudden hush took place in the room. The fire grew larger, as the wood in the fireplace crumbled, letting some ember fly upwards to the chimney. Clive glared up at his father, as the King's eyes revealed the same look of anger and hurt. To Clive, Arc was becoming a nuisance and a foolish threat to his own chance to the throne. Clive growled with his golden eyes getting deeper in color because of the reflection of the fire. "The boy does not have what it takes to be King…I can prove it to you…"

"You're wrong, Clive. You are mistaken…" Clive, however, turned around. He practically forced the door open, as the servants who were guarding the doors jumped with surprise. As he was leaving, the King yelled out to him. "He knows humanity!"

Clive stopped, not facing his father. He simply listened, as his father walked out of the room. The servants immediately bowed their heads and left the scene. "Do you know what it is like to live without servants, Clive? Have you ever lived next to the hungry or the lame? Arc lived through days seeing the weak and the strong together. He knows how to approach beggars, do you? He knows how to regard the poor as well as the rich, but do you?"

"So…because I lived my life entrapped in this silver palace, you think I'm unworthy of my role as king now, do you, your majesty? All this will be meaningless, once I speak with Lord Spirae myself. He acknowledges me!"

"That won't be necessary. Lord Spirae already knew of Arc's journey, for Priestess Kukuru was with him today. She is traveling with him." Clive whirled around, the white of his eyes quite prominent. His hand was formed into a fist, as he was shaking with jealousy and anger. Knowing that Arc was receiving the favor of his father and now, even journeying with what he believed belonged to him, Clive felt rage building up within. As the King noticed Clive's unstable state, he looked at him with concern. "Clive, you are my son. If anything, of course, I acknowledge you. Yes, you are perfect to be King, but Clive, before this mistake grows to affect anymore people…we must end it here together. We must stop before the consequences get worse…"

"Father…I am not in the position to fix your mistakes. In fact, I have no intention of fixing it for you. You can't live in your past anymore…" The king's eyes grew saddened, seeing that his own son couldn't understand his heart and shame of his past sins. Clive turned around and walked away, leaving his father standing in the hall with his head down. Clive felt as though his world has failed him. He hated his father but at the same time, he knew that his father was taking the chance to do an honorable deed in his life. Clive wondered in his heart, if he had a brother, what he would have done if his brother's son would have entered the kingdom seeking his help. He considered the possibilities, wondering if he would have made the same decision. Thinking about the entire situation, made him want to admire his father and want to be like him. Yet he wished he had what the world told him belonged to him. Clive ran into his grandiose room, slamming the doors behind him. His frustration grew and he grabbed a large vase upon the stand besides his bed, throwing it against the wall. The shattered pieces flew across the room and fell on the floor. He looked shocked when he suddenly heard a strange chuckle behind the curtain in his room. He practically jumped, whirling around. "W-Who is it?"

"Do not be alarmed, my prince. It is I, Andel." The prime minister walked from the corner of the room, apparently waiting in Clive's room for some time. Clive clearly didn't feel comfortable with Andel in the room, "Prime Minister, I'm not feeling well enough to speak with you. Please leave my room now."

"Now now…Prince Clive, with all due respect, you must understand where our Majesty's words are coming from."

Knowing that Andel has been listening into their conversation, Clive grew frustrated. "You impudent---How dare you meddle in royal affairs!"

"My apologies, your highness." Andel laid his head low with respect. He slowly smirked, "You see, my prince. There are many secrets in this castle. Many untold stories and dark negotiations, as you probably heard from your father. The one that your father was involved in…is probably the darkest of all secrets hidden in this place…"

"Secret…You mean, about my father's brother…?"

"Yes, my prince." Andel did not look at Clive, but Clive walked towards him. "Tell me…tell me everything."

"Hmm, as you wish. The leaders of the Blood Okami were closer to your father, than Prince Yoshua. The Sun Okami was very faithful to both your father and Prince Yoshua, but the leaders were closer to Prince Yoshua and agreed with his principles. As the day for the prince's crowning drew closer, the Blood Okami grew precarious about the balance of power. They knew that your grandfather would choose Prince Yoshua to be the heir to the throne, for your grandfather favored the soldiers of the Sun Okami.

"One night, your father was called to your grandfather's room. He heard a loud scream and thus, opened the door to only witness the death of his father. The men were cloaked in a dark blue cape, when they escaped the room. An immediate search was done for the assassinators, with the only evidence to be a piece of emblem belonging only to the members of the Sun Okami. Your father and uncle were equally furious, seeking to know who the killers were. They investigated the matter themselves, as the doctors revealed that the king was poisoned. The soldiers found the poison in the room of the leader of the Sun Okami. The leaders of the Blood Okami put the matter in their own hands, as the men were immediately executed for treason. The rest of the Sun Okami was wiped out one by one, with evidences that they had all planned the assassination together.

"As the case settled down, the important question arose: Who was to be the next King over Palencia? Prince Yoshua had no one on his side, except few people of the Sacred White Clan. Your father, on the other hand, had the protection of the members of the Blood Okami. Finally, when it was time for the people to choose their leader, the Blood Okami devised a plan with your father to lure Prince Yoshua into a trap. Your uncle was driven out of his own kingdom, hunted down like an animal by the Blood Okami. With only a sword in his hand and his armor, he hopped from one country to another. The news of his death surrounded the entire city of Palencia. People have mourned for days, months of the tragic fall of both a king and his son. Your father was quick to get the people's favor and was soon crowned King of Palencia…"

"M-My father…he…he really…?" Clive put his head down, traumatized by the truth of the past. He was now extremely disappointed in his father. Andel simply shook his head from side to side, "And as years passed, your father was never able to sleep well. From time to time, he would weep with guilt, occasionally going to Prince Yoshua's room…"

"Why are you telling me this?" Clive stared back at Andel, who simply smiled and looked at him. "Prince Clive, you are now twenty years old. The members of the Blood Okami have been faithfully protecting your father. We know how you were intensely involved with their training, gaining their respect for you. Yet imagine what would happen, if this so-called Arc comes into this kingdom. An uneducated, poor mannered commoner being regarded as King…imagine what the entire kingdom would think. Civilians will believe anyone could be a ruler of a country."

"It seems my father's decisions have already been made. I don't know what to do to deter his plans." Clive looked away, but Andel walked in front of him. "On the contrary, my Prince, there is a way. We must prevent your father from meeting Arc anymore, and prevent him from meeting Lord Spirae of Sacred White Clan."

"How, Andel?" Andel grinned and showed him a pouch of a strange gray powder. Clive returned him a confused stare, "What is this?"

"It is a very faint form of dried dark herb. If a person consumes a portion of this powder, they will feel ill for a few days and will not be able to move. Putting some slightly in your father's food, a few days before Arc comes upon this city will surely prevent the king from seeing him." Clive violently grabbed Andel's throat and pushed him upon the wall. Andel, choking, grabbed Clive's hand tightly. Clive simply glared at his aging face, "You plan on poisoning my father and you think you can get away with it!"

"It-It will not kill him, I assure you! It will merely prevent him-Haaumph-from seeing-seing-Arc and Lord-Lord Spirae! A-Arc is using the powers of the Ark to gain—control---!" Clive loosened his grip, letting Andel gasp for air. Andel fell unto the floor, practically holding unto Clive's foot, "Please, your highness. I only mean the best for the royal family. I wouldn't have imagined going this far until it began to threaten your way to the throne!"

Clive sternly looked at him, and chuckled, "You are an interesting character, prime minister. What of this Ark and about the boy getting power?" Andel still breathed heavily to regain his strength. "Though we may prevent our majesty from reaching Arc, Arc himself can grow to be more powerful than you one day if he finds the Ark..."

"More powerful…than me?"

"Y-yes! He can use his powers against the kingdom, forcing his way to be King, even when your father changes his heart and mind about this matter! He is stealing everything away from you, my prince, stealing your father's favor, the priestess of the Sacred White Clan, and now power that should be in your hands…"

Hearing those words, Clive felt bitterness rise inside. He knew Prime Minister Andel was toying with his thoughts, but he still felt a grave jealousy towards Arc. Clive wondered why everything was coming to Arc as though he deserved it. He wondered why such power to rule was not in his own grasp. Andel slightly lifted his head, "But…there is one that is more powerful than the powers of the Ark…."

"Who is it?" Clive asked without emotions. Andel whispered, "He is the Dark One, and he will be more than willing to give you a lending hand if you can help him stand against Arc..."

Clive raised an amused expression, as he walked away from Andel. "It seems we will come to an agreement without any problems. I would like to meet this Dark One." Andel smirked, "Yes, your highness. That can be arranged, as you wish. He has been quite eager to see you for some time…"

"And I will leave this matter to your hands. Make sure, my father does not meet Arc. But…if anything is to happen to my father---"

"Yes, Yes. I understand, your highness." Andel simply held his head low. Andel immediately left the room, as Clive stared into the mirror. As though a part of his conscience was affect, he felt a strange feeling of unease and guilt rising. Yet Clive shook the feeling away and started to laugh. He looked at himself in the mirror, his handsome face seemed to have grown darker, as though his character was being reformed already. Clive opened his eyes, returning to the present at the balcony where he began to recall his past. He steadily walked back into the castle, as his spruce servant started walking up the stairs to greet him. Clive calmly put his glasses back on, "Hmm. What is it?"

"Your Majesty, there is a report that Kramer and his men has arrived back from Millmana with the machine."

"Excellent. I will meet them in the basement downstairs."

"And, um…about Kukuru-sama?" The servant raised a questioning stare at him, as Clive stopped and sneered. "Guide her to the room I've prepared…"

"And the wedding?"

"Send the word out immediately. Make sure that everyone in Seirya hears and begin the preparations. We will hold it in two days..." The servant simply nodded, as they finished the stairway. While the servant disappeared from the room, Clive held his head back and began to chuckle. His golden eyes seemed to glint a faint blue, as he uncontrollably laughed as though he has gone crazy. "Two days, Arc...Two days and another destiny unfolds…"

The sky grew darker above the castle and thundered as well. Few but long hours passed, as flyers were passed through every door in Downtown, Palencia, and the Seirya Skyport. As night fell, People began to curiously peer at the flyers. Cheers and hollers arose from the city. Just as Shu, Gruga, Shania, Lieza, Paundit and Shante arrived at the Seirya Skyport, a large crowd gathered around a large post in the center of the sky port. The party was dressed in completely different attire to avoid the suspicion from the members of the Blood Okami. Shu wore a tight black suit, and replaced his deep red scarf with a black one. Gruga wore a dark brown robe, with a black cape. He also had a large bandage across his arm, hiding his wound. Shania covered more of her skin, replacing her tan top with a blue vest and wearing a black skirt instead of her tan skirt. Lieza replaced her skirt with airy black pants that were up to her knees. Lieza replaced her white shirt with a dark yellow long sleeved top. Shante took off her deep blue dress and wore black chemise and a thin dark jacket, with longer tight black pants. Quickly avoiding the eyes of people, they swiftly exited the sky port, heading towards Downtown.

They all stood in shock at the town's sudden change and prosperity. Paundit growled, sniffing around but finding something strangely ominous about the entire country. Entering the restored inn at Downtown, they put their little belongings down upon the floor. They sat around a large round wooden table in the corner of the bar, noticing some people talking among themselves, laughing and cheering. Shante got up to get a drink, while Shu peered around, making sure he couldn't sense anyone suspicious around them. Shania and Lieza looked at the center, the candle lighting their presence. Gruga simply rested his eyes. Throughout their travel by a small airship, they were able to share all their findings and clues about the diabolical plan. Shu shared about his past with the Blood Okami, explaining their origin just as he did with Shante. Shania shared her meeting with Clive and his strange proposition about Diekbeck. Gruga shared what he, Shania, and Lieza have heard in the lab base about using the monsters to kill the people, using a dark seal to transfer energy to the Dark One. Lieza simply told them about the strange disappearance of the animals in Holn and followed them to the Chimera Research Lab, finding out they have taken Mother Claire captive. As a general understanding has been reached with one another during their long flight, they decided to change their clothing to not be apparent within the crowd. Now they sat still in the busy inn, hoping to find rooms to rest for the night and discuss their plans.

Suddenly Shante rushed towards the table, as everyone grew alarmed. They rose from their seats, as she slammed a flyer down on the table. "I can't believe it! Look at this!"

They peered at the piece of paper on the table. Lieza gasped and covered her mouth. Shu practically snatched it up and peered into it with bewilderment. Gruga opened his mouth in shock, while Shania held her head in distress. Lieza stuttered, "This…this isn't right…"

Shania quietly but fiercely spoke. "A marriage between Kukuru and Clive? And what about Arc?" Shu held his chin in thought, looking up at his friends, "This only confirms what Clive has been planning. He knows Arc will come to this…and he means to unveil his true colors to the people there…"

"I wonder how the others are taking this. I'm certain Kukuru was forced into this marriage somehow…" Gruga softly said with concern. They sighed as they returned to their seats, hoping no one would eavesdrop into their discussion. Everyone remained silent to think into the matter, until Lieza spoke. "We can't stop the wedding head-on, because we will eventually be overrun by the members of the Blood Okami, as well as the soldiers that Clive has. Still, we have one clue that Mother Claire left for us. She overheard the men saying they will meet in the basement of Palencia Bar. Perhaps, if we investigate the matter first, we may find out a way to end their scheme before it even begins."

Shania looked at her, "Perhaps we will find Diekbeck as well, if we go there." Shu closed his eyes, "Yes, but we must also find a way to reach Arc and unite our forces, and explain everything. Any ideas where he might be at this point?"

"If Clive is on the throne, then he must be nearby. Perhaps Touvil or the Sabatico Shrine? Or…" Shante suggested. Shu glanced at her, as she softly questioned, "The Sacred White Clan…?"

"Those seem to be our only possibilities. Yet…it would be most unfortunate, if he wasn't in Seirya at all." Gruga said, folding his heads on the table. Shu calmly said, "If he is nowhere to be found in Seirya, it's up to us to stop whatever Clive and his men are planning. Whether he is in this country or not, I have a feeling Clive will find a way to make Arc come…"

"…you seem to know Clive..." Shante spoke, returning a confused glance at him. He looked at her and then at everyone who was giving him the same looks. "What makes you say that, Shante?"

"The way you speak of him, of course. There's a hint of bitterness in your voice towards him…" Shante spoke, while Shania simply let her head fall to her side slightly. Gruga and Lieza continued to stare at him, waiting for a response. Shu simply grinned and sighed. "I did know him, but time and age have changed both of us..."

Everyone was silent, wondering what Shu could mean by his words. Yet, they did not want to probe into his past or force him to share something he was not comfortable sharing. They let the past settle where it was, and continued to plan for the events to follow. Shania spoke, "Well, perhaps we should split up. We can't possible handle all these in a matter of two days."

"I agree." Gruga said. He peered over at Paundit and gave a firm pat on his back, as the furry friend simply lay there, resting his head on his paws. "To avoid suspicion, we should travel differently from the way we traveled before. I will go with Shante to search for Arc."

Shante nodded to Gruga's suggestion, as Shu looked at Shania and Lieza. "Then I will go with Lieza and Shania to look into the basement." Lieza looked over at Paundit and stared at Shante and Gruga. "I actually wanted Paundit to go with you, Shante, Gruga…"

"Hmm? Why, Lieza?" Shante asked. Lieza smiled as she looked at Paundit, "I don't feel comfortable, letting Paundit see the experiments they do on chimeras and other beasts. I think it would also be less suspicious, since they already know about Paundit traveling with us."

"Lieza has a point there. Perhaps you should let Paundit travel with you." Shu suggested. Shante grinned and looked at Gruga, who seemed quite happy, as he nudged Paundit and tickled his ears, "Haha, as long as Paundit doesn't mind, it's fine with us."

Paundit raised his head and gave a subtle bark, which made Lieza giggle, "Paundit would be happy to travel with you two."

"Good. I know we need time to recover from our past battle. My body is not in its best condition as well. Let's use this night to get our strength back and head out tomorrow. We have not a moment to lose. If we're not able to stop this, we can only expect something worse than the Great Disaster…" Shu solemnly spoke, knowing that his companions fully understood the result of Clive's schemes spelled out more than a Great Disaster, but possibly the reign of the Dark One. They all returned him a determined face. The light of the candle flickered, faintly reflecting on the window besides them. And so the night carried on, as time did not stop its toil to reach daybreak. Each returning to their respective rooms, they grew anxious for the days to come. The clouds still hovered across the continents, as Seirya seemed to only see a faint portion of the sky above them. With no moon and no sun visible in any part of the world, the search for the light continued for all mankind.

To the readers/ reviewers: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading and reviewing. I pray that God would continue to bless you! Next Chapter may come a little late, but please be looking forward for it. Thank you again!


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